Living for death, dying for life
by bookworm0706
Summary: PROLOGUE REVISED! Revisions in Progress! A warrior girl sets off to protect Ella and Char's son from a mysterious enemy... Kplus for violence
1. Prologue

**A/N:** This is a new prologue, as the story is undergoing revisions (see the note in the last chapter), so it might not match up exactly with the rest of the story until it too is revised.

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The sun shone down on the dusty training ground, glinting on the sharp edges of arrowheads and bearing down on the line of young men. They squinted as sweat dripped into their eyes, trying to stay focused on the target. Muscled arms were taut with tension, shoulders straining to keep their bows immobile and strung tight.

Their teacher paced behind them, checking their stance, their poise, their silent strength as they controlled the powerful weapons. After assessing them with the critical eye of an expert, he stepped back and waited.

Waited…

Muscles cramped and breathing picked up, yet no one moved so much as a finger.

Still he waited, and when he had sensed the breaking point, the teacher called out, "Fire!".

Six arrows whistled briefly through the air before thudding faultlessly into six straw bags, right in the middle of the red circle painted onto each one.

A rush of breath, and things came alive again: the young men stretched and congratulated each other, younger boys stepped up to take their place, bragging and betting, and the youngest children, three rascals who looked no older than five, scurried about collecting arrows. Each boy was dressed alike: brown linen leggings and a loose white tunic, set op by a black belt and worn boots.

One boy, who didn't appear to be any different from the rest, detached himself from the crowd and addressed the teacher, bowing deeply. "Master, there is someone here to see you."

The Master nodded and followed the boy, Joachim, out of the archery ground and into the cool stone manor. His face was serene as he walked and he made no effort to adjust his appearance. The calm air was slightly odd for such a young man: he had only twenty-six summers to his name. The Master's dark hair was clasped neatly together and his uniform was clean and crisp; his tanned face was neatly shaven. His boots rang out on the bare stone floor, echoing up to the high roof and large windows.

The walls were covered with carved pictures: dragons, knights, proud warriors, magic, landscapes, …each one symbolized a great deed or place of the past, and they were an ongoing project. Each Master of the school usually had one or two designs added. The dormitories were decorated with replicas of these magnificent tableaus, and the occasional crude picture or phrase, put there by bored students (sometimes) artistic talent.

"I'll be in my office," the Master said, stopping outside of a plain wooden door with a quiver and bow depicted on the front. Joachim nodded and scampered off to get the visitor. The Master entered his office and sank down behind the desk. He glanced around, taking in the simple fireplace, sparse decorations and plain rug. It wasn't much, but it was home.

There was a polite tap at his door, and his visitor entered. He rose, taking a moment to assess her. She was a gnome, stout and wrinkled, her eyes clouded with the Sight. She carried a basked under her arm, cradling it against her chest.

"Good afternoon, Lady," the Master said, "my name is Menlan. What do you need that requires my services?"

The gnome smiled a toothy smile and reached into her basket. Gently, lovingly, she pulled out a sleeping baby. Menlan quirked an eyebrow.

"I have Seen," said the gnome, "that this baby will grow up to be your greatest student. She is gifted and talented, and she has been blessed by fortune and by the gods. She will be loyal and good, she will make all of her Masters proud, and when the time comes, you will choose her to defend the Prince and make things right in our beloved country. Can you trust me and accept this responsibility?"

Menlan, for once in his life, sputtered. "Well, yes, but…a girl?"

The gnome smiled. "Gender does not determine strength of body or mind, as you well know. Break tradition. You will not regret it."

And she was gone, leaving Menlan to stare down at his new charge, wondering…

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**A/N:** I hope you like the new way this is going, I decided that the story was less than believable so I've changed a few things…that will become more apparent after a while. 


	2. Tayli

Menlan looked at the letter in his hands and sighed. It was time. His brother had written, and said also that Prince Terian was passing through Bast on his quest, and that his route would surely lead him past the fighting school that Menlan headed. It was a slightly hidden school where not knights, but warriors were bred , good scouts and trustworthy soldiers. Only about 10 miles away from Bast, it was a sprawling stone building on the edge of the woods, with a large river about a mile away. The masters and recruits' quarters were almost identical, except for the fact that recruits boarded together, and masters did not. The only exception to this general rule was Tayli, whom he loved like a daughter. But he must abide by the prophecy, and she was as ready as she would ever be. Menlan looked out his window and into the courtyard, where she was dueling with her swords master, the elf Jaedon, who was equaled nowhere in the country except in his student, whom he had taught everything he knew. Menlan himself was an archer, and had found in Tayli the same equal that Jaedon had found. It no longer amazed him that a girl could do all this, only that she did not bore of it, but embraced the soldier lifestyle. She was trained in everything he could think of. She called him and the other masters 'Master,' but she herself was a master at swords, archery, riding, throwing daggers, martial arts, swimming, tracking, and living safely and off the land. Tested again and again, the proofs had only come out positive. Tayli was everything the old gnome had wanted her to be, and everything that Menlan could have wanted in a son. With a heavy heart, he leaned out, and called to her, his voice deep and rich.  
  
"Tayli! Come here, child."  
  
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Tayli looked up into the trusted face of her favorite Master. His straight brown hair hung to his shoulders, and he was clean-shaven. His tall, thin frame leaned half out of the window. Smiling, she waved upwards to show she had understood, and then turned and bowed to Master Jaedon, who bowed also, and then waved her off.  
  
---Tayli was a peculiarity. She knew that, with her 18 years, she should have been married or trying to do so, dolled up in skirts and all the other horrors that such things created. But she didn't want to, and Master Menlan had never mentioned it. Instead, Tayli flourished at the school. She was fiercely independent, often just disappearing to roam the woods or long rides on her black stallion, Moonflight. She could count the number of people she talked with freely on one hand. The matronly housekeeper, who had taught her all the useful things that she needed to know about being a woman, and her Masters-Menlan, Jaedon, Manuel (who taught her book things- history, tactics, and so on) and Daniel (who taught her all she needed to know about everything else). Anyone else that tried to approach her (and many a curious young recruit did at first) received silence, a gesture, or, at best, a word or two. If she needed something or wanted to convey something important, she talked, but Tayli wasn't the type of person who communicated easily. She preferred to stay hidden and observe, step in to meddle when she needed to, and then step out again. She had never been in a city, and never wanted to do so, from what she had heard of them-the one thing she was afraid of was large crowds of people pushing in on her, cutting off her escape routes and swamping her with their closeness. Anyone that she didn't know or trust who got too close to her risked injury, the seriousness depending on how close they were. Tayli was a born warrior, and combined all her masters' skills into one, lithe body. She was of moderate height-not so short to be at a disadvantage, and not so tall that she was easily noticed. The one typical thing about her was her hair-she kept it long, and even she didn't know why. But, safely tied back, the straight, raven-black locks didn't do her any damage. Her eyes were a piercing amethyst color, which, she found, unnerved quite a few people. Though she didn't know it (what use for a mirror was there?) Tayli was beautiful, and, if she had been a normal girl, could have charmed people as soon as they saw her. As it was, people tended to back away in scorn at the plain breeches and tunic that she wore instead of skirts and petticoats. She loved training to fight, and had been sent on quite a few missions with the other recruits, and by herself. She could live totally independently, and not leave a trace of having been wherever she went. Tayli loved the world she was born into. Tracking, climbing, anything to do with nature and the outdoors she excelled in, as she excelled in anything involving weapons of any type. She had never killed a human, but she had given serious damage without much emotion when threatened. She could follow people silently and stealthily, and had, in her younger years, surprised a lot of mischievous young men doing so, sneaking up on them and then flourishing a hidden sword in their astonished faces. Sometimes, Master Menlan asked for her advice, which was solid and sensible, or confided in her, right in being certain that nothing would make her speak once she had promised not to do so. But, added into all this, she wasn't a jealous, self-centered person, and worked hard not to do wrong. No, as any one of her Masters could have said, Tayli was good and lively, not at all the emotionless person she showed herself to be-if she had accepted you as one of her own.---  
  
Tayli knocked, and then entered Master Menlan's office, a plain, stone affair with a desk and a few chairs, and a row of books above the fireplace. Worried, she noticed that the man who was her father figure sat slumped backwards in his chair, face sad.  
  
"Tayli," he said, "sit down." She did so. "Tayli, child, the time has come. You are to go away." Alarmed, his student sat straighter, but didn't say anything. "You have heard, perhaps, that the prince has come of age?"  
  
"I have," she said gravely, her training preparing her to accept with honor what she knew would separate her from Menlan.  
  
"His path is passing through Bast. Tayli, you must protect the prince, at whatever cost. I know this sounds strange, but you must do all you can to keep him safe from a danger that I know is coming, but can only guess at. Will you do this, for your country, and for me?"  
  
"I will, Master," she said, voice level. She had known that the day would come when she was sent away to do a greater task, and had been prepared for it.  
  
"Good. Now, listen closely. You must avoid being seen much at all-not until there is no choice. I have equipment waiting for you in the stable. Follow them, and above all, take care of the heir! You know what else to do, and your instinct will tell the rest. But now you must go, for he is in Bast as we speak. Goodbye, my Tayli." A single tear gleaming in his eye, he stood and kissed her cheek gently. She sighed and bowed. Then, with a final look at the trusted figure, left the room.  
  
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Standing next to Moonflight, Tayli felt an odd determination instead of sadness. She would do her Masters proud, and honor them that way. She looked over the supplies that had been lain out for her. A black cloak lay on top-it was thick and long, made of wool, and was fastened at the neck, which was high. A large hood with a veil in front to cover her face made her see how necessary it really was that she did keep hidden. Swirling it about her shoulders, she put it on, feeling its warmth and seeing how it enveloped her whole body. A second set of her normal, brown shirt and breeches, with underwear, came next. These she packed in her saddlebags. A pair of safely dull, high black riding boots came next-they fit her exactly. She had her sword and sword-belt with her-it was of top-quality metal, and fit her hand from years of practice. 3 daggers of differing size and style were secured in a shoulder belt that looped over her left shoulder and fastened onto her regular belt at the right. Arrows and a bow were strapped across the front of her saddle. A small pouch of sleeping powder and a map were also stowed away. Then Tayli mounted, pulled up her hood with the veil across her face, kicked Moonflight, and was gone.  
  
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A/N: Please review! 


	3. Of Knights and Princes

Tayli rode hard, for Moonflight was a fast and steady horse. It only took her an hour to reach Bast, following the main roads. They were, in places, paved with stone, but were mostly just well stamped-down earth. As she came to the edge of the city, she reined Moonflight in and sat staring at it in awe. At a glance, she could see more people than she had ever seen before in her life, all mashed together in one place. There seemed to be a sort of spectacle going on-a loud cheering was steadily coming closer, and men, women, and children pushed at each other, talking loudly. Suddenly, the crowd opened up to let a procession pass-and Tayli, fairly hidden among a group of trees, caught her breath in awe.  
  
She knew that the princes went on a quest when they came turned 16-not a quest, really, but more of a grand tour of the country where they were supposed to have a few small adventures-but she had never imagined it to be as grand as this was! Her expeditions always consisted of herself, and she always traveled as lightly as possible. But this! The prince rode in front of fully 10 knights ( Tayli thought scornfully) all of whom wore clothes that she thought were laughably fancy for riding. There wasn't a pair of simple breeches or linen shirts among them-all were of a high quality of fabric, and had at least some embroidery around the edges. With a critical eye, she examined the group, which seemed to be entirely fit out for fighting hand-to-hand. They rode large, fine chargers, which would be handy in hand-to-hand combat, but looked a little too large for easy maneuvering. she thought smugly, . Each knight wore a breastplate, which would be very uncomfortable, she thought, and not very practical-they carried shields and there were plenty more vulnerable places in the body than the heart-in fact, it was one of the easiest ones to miss. From arrows and anything else from a distance, she reasoned, the group was completely helpless. They seemed to her to have been trained without many real trials-the provisions they had were of the kind you might make if you had fought in a courtyard your whole life. It was no wonder that Menlan had sent her to protect them.  
  
Terian was the only heir, and the country would be in turmoil if he died. There was no easy second to the throne, and it would probably catapult the country into civil war if King Charmont and Queen Ella didn't handle it well. She wasn't bragging, or feeding her ego. It was the truth.  
  
By now the knights and their prince were cantering down the road, and they passed her without even a glance at the copse, where an ambush was so easy. Smirking at their (in her opinion) carelessness, Tayli nudged Moonflight out of the trees, and set off behind them at a reasonable distance, keeping the stallion on the grass so he wouldn't make much noise. 


	4. Horse in the Night

A/N: I have no clue about the geographics of Kyrria, so you'll just have to bear with me on this one.  
  
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The forest where Tayli now found herself was well known to her. She had traveled this road many times before, and knew where the most important points were-large rocks or trees, rivers, streams, and bluffs. She had given up using the road, going into the forest in stead and had pulled up to right behind the royal party, weaving in and out of the trees. They were tall and thick, and spaced well apart, and the forest was mostly clear of brush that might trip Moonflight or block a path. The sun was setting, and the last rays filtered through the leaves high overhead, creating a dappled pattern of greenish and golden light and long shadows cast by limbs of trees. The ground was covered in a thick carpet of fallen leaves that effectively muffled Moonflight's hoof beats. All around, birds were singing their evening-songs, and a few stray hoots indicated owls that had risen already and were preparing to hunt the mice and other animals that were either scampering into or creeping cautiously out of their hidden burrows. Occasionally, she could catch glimpses of the knights just in front of her, and the sound of their horses was constantly pounding in her ears. Sometimes she caught snatches of talk, about court affairs that couldn't interest her. Often, she would hear the prince laugh, a young sound that seemed to bubble up out of nowhere.  
  
The air was getting cooler, and Tayli was glad of the cloak that hung around her. The thick black wool billowed slightly behind her and came low while she was riding. It hid most of her frame, so that she and Moonflight were just two black shadows passing quietly through the twilight. Her hood was up, and with it the veil, which, she had found, was no obstruction to her seeing at all-it was like it wasn't there. She suspected that it was spelled a little to make it impenetrable from the outside. Possibly a fairy in need of shelter or whatnot had agreed to do the small task.  
  
Ahead, the knights reined in their horses to a walk, and Tayli did the same. Peering and listening intently through a small gap in the trees, she saw about half of the knights head off the path and into the darkening woods (where their horses did fit because the trees were so far apart) to look for a sheltered area to spend the night, while the rest lit a signal torch and continued on at a walk. Tayli swore silently-she had picked up a number of curses early on in her life from some of the less gentlemanlike of the recruits. About 5 minutes gallop farther ahead, she knew a place that was ideal-she had spent a few nights there herself. A little ways away from the road farther on, a large hill reared up into the sky. Strangely, it was an almost vertical drop on the eastern side, and something, long ago, had scooped out a bowl at the base of it. It wasn't quite a cave, but more of an indent in the face of the cliff that could safely shelter up to 5 people. It wouldn't rain tonight, because there were no clouds obscuring the starry sky. A few people would have to make due with sleeping outside. But how could she make them find it? At the pace they were going, it would take an hour to get there-and by that time, it would be fully dark, and they wouldn't be able to see it. There was no other good shelter around, she knew. It was that or nothing. She had seen that one knight had headed roughly in the right direction. If she could lead him to it, then he could bring the others. But how to do that? Suddenly an idea popped up in Tayli's mind. It was dangerous, but she would have to risk it. Carefully avoiding the paths the other knights had taken, she spurred Moonflight into a gallop.  
  
There! A knight carefully guided his horse around the trees, looking around as he did so at the gloomy, forbidding trees. Abruptly, Tayli stopped Moonflight, and he snorted. The man's head whipped around and searched the trees where Tayli was carefully hidden.  
  
"Who's there?" he called, his voice betraying no hint of worry or fear. "Luke, is that you?"  
  
Tayli said nothing, only nudged Moonflight into a walk again, in the direction of the cliff. Each one of the horse's steps seemed to echo in the darkening stillness of the woods. He called out again, but still she stayed silent. Looking behind her, Tayli saw that he had also spurred his horse on, but at a trot. He must not overtake her. She sped Moonflight up until he was at a full-fledged gallop, legs stretching out ahead and behind him and sides heaving. She could hear the heavier battle-horses hooves behind her. It was working! His curiosity had gotten the better of him, and he was following her to the shelter. Mentally she recited the directions. Follow the stream, turn left along that boulder, a few more minutes and-yes, there it was, same as always, immovable in time. The side of the hill stretched far into the sky, stripped bare of trees. A darker shadow showed the shelter that she had used before to make her black-fletched arrows and other supplies and stay out of the rain. She pulled on the reins and her horse stopped, stamping and eager to run again. He pulled at the reins impatiently, and she consented, giving him the signal for 'jump'. He leaped forward into the trees and then stood quivering as the following horse's scent reached him. A puzzled exclamation from the knight ended the successful chase-he had not seen her, and if he had any sense, the party would be safe for the night.  
  
Tayli waited until the knight was gone again to lead Moonflight away from the spot, passing briefly through water on the way to hide any tracks they might be making. That done, she went right back to the cliff, going up the hillside and tethering the stallion there. She took off the saddle and cushioned her head on it, wrapping herself in her cloak to keep warm for the night. Tayli wasn't worried-there wasn't much dangerous in these woods, and she was naturally a light sleeper, waking at the smallest sound and then falling asleep again quickly, and Moonflight served as a second warning system. As the stars came out in the sky above, the once-trainee slept, forgetting all her worries in the blissful oblivion of sleep.  
  
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William sat outside the almost-cave he had found, toying with one of the long black feathers that had been discovered inside. At 20, he was youngest of the knights, and so had to sit the midnight watch. He couldn't get the incident from earlier that night out of his mind. None of the others knew, but William was sure that he had been led there by someone-or something. What it was, he didn't know, or why it would lead them to shelter. He had heard a horse, and had followed it when no one had answered his calls. And when he got here, it had simply disappeared. He hadn't caught one glimpse of the animal. Mentally shaking himself, William put his mind to other matters.  
  
Bast had been the first stop in their journey-next they were headed to Lubran, a city in the mountains at the edge of Kyrria. They would go mostly through the forest, and the terrain would get hillier as they went along. Lubran was a small, peaceful city that he had visited before, and had liked very much-it was tucked away in a high valley and was very picturesque. It would take them a week and a half to reach it, at the pace they were going- leisurely, to stop at all the villages along the way.  
  
Prince Terian was young and kind, and would grow up as good a leader as his father the King and with as humorous a temperament as he mother. He was handsome, with dark brown hair and green eyes. Yes, they lived in good times.  
  
William was roused out of his reverie when Luke tapped him on the shoulder. "Willi, it's my watch now." Pulling a face at the childish nickname, William rose stiffly, almost unconsciously pocketing the feather as he did so.  
  
"Hope you can stay awake."  
  
"And I hope you can stay awake long enough to reach your bed roll."  
  
William barely made it. 


	5. Darian

Prince Terian and his knights left the forest behind them and reached the village of Darian in the middle of the afternoon of the next day. It large, as villages go, with plenty of accommodations for the travelers that often stopped by on their way to and from Bast. Darian was nestled between leftover strips of woodlands, in a fertile, wet area called the Bowl. No one really knew why, considering that the land was almost perfectly flat in the Bowl and most definitely not circular. Still, it was among the best farmland in Kyrria, and its people grew bountiful crops.  
  
The Bowl proved to be both a problem and a relief to Tayli. After spending the day guiding Moonflight carefully but quickly through trees in the woods, open country was a relief. However, it would be difficult to follow the prince unnoticed in an area where there was little to no shelter from prying eyes. She would have to take the risk of showing herself by riding behind them at a distance. It would put her task at a serious disadvantage, however. But hopefully, the party wouldn't look behind them much. If they did, she would be in jeopardy. Master Menlan had assured her that it was so, and it made sense. The more people that knew of your existence, the more people there were that might want to nullify it. But she would have to take the chance-she had no other choice.  
  
Tayli tied Moonflight to a tree close to the tree line, where the proud and tired stallion could graze the fresh sprigs of grass that grew there. He did not need a stable-Moonflight had been specially bred for these types of missions and excursions, when the owner could not or would not stable him. After seeing that the prince and his followers had been safely escorted to a good-looking inn, Tayli chose a spot farther back into the forest and lay down for a nap-she would need one if she was to guard tonight.  
  
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Terian looked around at the knights surrounding him and smiled jovially. Sirs Michael, Jonathan, Luke, William, Garram, Zachary, Jerrold (named after his father), Frenery, Natal, and Bertram Jr. were all good and solid men, and good friends to the young prince, who was in a fantastic mood. He was in strange country with 10 trustworthy knights, exploring, was finally of age, awaiting an adventure, and away from court, where everyone constantly fussed over him. What could be better?  
  
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(A/N: In case you don't catch on, this takes place hours later.)  
  
Tayli sat silently perched in a tree outside Prince Terian's open window. The cloak that she had wrapped around herself kept out the chill like a fire, and blended her shadow in with that of the tree. Her finger stroked the ready bowstring meditatively as her veil-hidden amethyst eyes held their steady gaze on the room inside. Some instinct combined with her training had told Tayli that this would be an excellent place to do harm to the heir, just where everyone would be trusted. She had climbed quickly and silently up at sunset and watched as Terian (a bit muzzy from the wine, and tired from the day's ride) had fallen into bed as soon as he got in the door. It was, she judged, about 2 hours later now, and still nothing had happened. But Tayli had a feeling that something was going to happen, and one thing she had learned was always to trust your instincts. So she stayed.  
  
Suddenly, she sat up straighter, and almost unconsciously readied her grip on the bowstring. Had she heard something, or was it just the leaves of the tree she sat in rustling in the wind? A few moments went by without another sound, and Tayli was beginning to relax when she saw the door to the prince's room slowly open. Her whole body taut, she peered at the shadow that inched through, and cursed the moonlight for not being stronger, so she could see who had come in. The shape was large, and seemed to be a man. It crept along, hesitating each time the floorboards squeaked in a distinctively furtive manner. Definitely not someone to be trusted. As the shadow reached the prince's bed, a stray glimmer of moonlight hit cold steel, and Tayli could see a raised dagger, poised to kill, dangerously outlined in the white light.  
  
It happened in one movement. Automatically, Tayli's hands rose and brought the bow to her face. Then, with all the tension that had been building up inside her since the door had first opened converting into strength, she pulled back on the bowstring, aimed, and let fly.  
  
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A/N: Sorry its not too long, but I wanted to leave you guys off with a cliffy! I'll update ASAP.  
  
Thank you so much to all my reviewers! I love you!  
  
Kitera-Matar: Thanks! I'm writing as fast as I can w/ 2 other stories going.  
  
aPPle-FrrEAk: I'll keep going, the story will be great you'll see.  
  
Sonchika: I can't wait for what happens next either!  
  
Icepixie: I'll keep that in mind, but my computer doesn't let me do it most of the time. Thanks for the suggestion! 


	6. Killer

Prince Terian woke to a loud thud of something heavy falling. Sitting up, he looked around sleepily and blinked as he saw a shadow lying on the floor next to his bed. As his vision cleared, he saw, in the scant moonlight, the shape of a man, lying prone on his floor in a very strange way. Why was there a man in his room? His sleep-befuddled mind still puzzling over this, his gaze fell on a puddle on his floor-in the light, he saw it was tinted red. Suddenly he realized what he hadn't realized before. There was a dead man lying on the ground in his room! Terror stricken, Terian screamed.  
  
A minute later, Sir Michael, whose room was next to his, was at his door, sword drawn. It was Sir Luke, who came right after him, that had the good sense to bring a candle, which flickeringly illuminated the scene. As the other knights came in one after the other, they looked silently at the picture that lay before them. A large, dirty-clothed and bearded man lay slightly on his side on the floor, his limbs stretched in a gruesome, unnatural shape. He was propped up on the arrow that had shot him, blood still trickling slowly onto the floor and forming a small puddle. Shadow and light played around his form as the candle danced, and then a glimmer caught the attention of Sir Bertram. He bent down to see what it was, and came up with a grim face, a knife in his hand.  
  
"We have been too lenient."  
  
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William turned to look at Bertram and saw, aghast, the deadly blade that he held. More candles were cautiously lighted, and the dagger was laid on a desk, in plain view of all. By now, William saw, Terian had gotten out of bed, and was, like everyone else, examining the cold steel that had almost killed him. Stooping down, William looked at the corpse instead, bringing a candle down with him. A mercenary, probably, judging by his untrained appearance and filth. This was not the look of a real soldier. That, at least was a relief-it meant that no other country wanted to assassinate the prince. Who the person was or why the attempt had taken place, he didn't know. All in Kyrria thought that the King and Queen were good rulers, and felt sure that the Prince would be too. Nudging the man onto his back, he gripped the top of the arrow shaft and pulled, easing it out. A few minutes later, he had in his hand a straight, long, and nicely shaped arrow, one that was certainly professionally made. Squeezing his way in between the other knights, who were now discussing the reason and way of the attack in hushed tones, he put the arrow next to the dagger on the table, and then spoke.  
  
"How come this man, who very nearly killed Prince Terian, is now dead, shot by an arrow that pierced his heart?" As if on cue, a breeze blew in through the stillness, making the candles flicker, and one went out.  
  
"The window," Garram breathed. Carefully skirting the dead mercenary, he walked over to it. "There's a tree just outside, but nothing else," he reported, and then joined them again. William, meanwhile, was staring at the feathers on the arrow, trying to remember something that just eluded his grasp.  
  
"What is it, Willi?" Luke asked.  
  
"Those feathers. I've got it! I know where I recognized those from." William reached into his pocket and brought out the slightly crumpled feather that he had pocketed a day ago, then lay it down carefully. "They're the same size, shape, and color. This," he touched the loose black feather "is one of the ones that we found in that small cave we slept in last night. Do you think there may be a coincidence?"  
  
"Well," the deep voice of Sir Jonathan said, "I might think so, but there's something else that I think you aren't telling us, William."  
  
He sighed. Yes, now was the time to tell the rest of them what he had seen. "This might sound incredible, but it's true. Last night, I was riding in the woods, looking for shelter like the rest of us, when I quite clearly heard a horse snort. I assumed that it was one of you, so I called out, but no one answered. Then I heard hoof beats, moving away from me at a slow pace. I called again, but I heard nothing. My curiosity was exited, so I followed the sound, and the horse I think I was following sped up when I did. I never saw it. And then, when I got to the cliff, it was gone. I couldn't hear it anymore, see it, and I checked the day after-there were a few horse tracks, smaller than those of our steeds, that just ended, as if the maker had disappeared. I didn't tell you because I thought I might have imagined it, but now I'm pretty sure that I was, amazing as it may sound, led there." A little embarrassed, he looked around at the mixed reactions of his audience. Terian, he saw, looked exited and a trifle scared. The knights' faces ranged from amused, to questioning, to thoughtful, to scornful, and to believing.  
  
"Ridiculous," Sir Jonathan said. "How can a horse disappear? And how does this all fit together?"  
  
"If this is true, however," Natal countered, "what would it mean? Something leads you to a cave, where we found the same feathers as we now find on an arrow that killed an assassin."  
  
"And they might not be the same feathers," was Terian's addition to the conversation.  
  
"I don't know," William said. "I don't understand it any more that you do. At first guess, I would say we were being followed, but that seems impossible, for we haven't seen anyone but ourselves the whole route. And it's true, the feathers might be different, and I might have imagined the horse. It's all a great puzzle to me."  
  
The others nodded thoughtfully, and they continued to discuss till long into the night.  
  
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Tayli, meanwhile, was lying stretched out on the ground in the forest, next to Moonflight, who she had moved. Shock still coursed through her body, and it was lucky that she had had enough wits to jump from the tree as soon as the man fell and run for the forest. She shook all over, as she had been for a while, trying vainly to get to sleep. But she couldn't.  
  
She had killed a man. She, Tayli, had killed someone; put an end to their spirit, their strength, and their life with one swift, thoughtless shot. Should she have done it? Could she have done otherwise? There was a heavy burden on her shoulders, one that she desperately wanted to shake off. 'Killer,' the whole forest seemed to whisper, accusing her of the dreadful crime that she knew she had committed. Yes, he had been an enemy. Yes, not killing him would have made her a helper, in a way, in the prince's murder. But she still shuddered. Was it really anyone's right to put an end to the life of another? Could she go on, knowing that she was the guilty extinguisher of a person's flame? The man had had life, probably family, possibly friends. What had she done, loading this on them so? Breaking one of the many links of the universe that was a separate spirit, killing someone. Tayli tried to convince herself that she had done right-nay, she knew that she had done right already, but still the knowledge seemed to weigh on her.  
  
Murderer, the forest murmured.  
  
Killer.  
  
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A/N: So, how do you like it? This chapter doesn't have much going on, I know, but I wanted to give you a little insight on everyone's feelings. I'm upset. No one is reviewing! You don't deserve this chapter, you know. 


	7. Knights

A/N: In this chapter, you get a GREAT description of all the knights.  
  
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Tayli woke while it was still dark, early the next morning, with her conscience still weighing on her, and she tried to shake it off by being brisk as she got ready to go. She drank from a nearby stream and then sparingly ate some of the rations she had packed-a campfire this close to the village would be an all-too-noticeable sign that she was there. Moonflight was rested and eager to leave, fidgeting and stamping around the tree that he was tethered to. He seemed to calm down when she saddled him, however, and Tayli slowly crept to the edge of the forest as the sun was just peaking over the horizon. Startled, she saw that the royal party was already outside, waiting for full light to get going. How could she follow them without their noticing? The land was open, and a horse and rider wasn't the best thing for going unnoticed. The risk was unavoidable-she would just have to follow them and trust her luck.  
  
^^^^^^^^  
  
At midday, the knights still hadn't looked back. Tayli was sweating slightly underneath her cloak, but she had to keep it on. It was her only protection against their eyes. They were going at a steady, trotting pace- the knights were taking it easy on their horses today, which made Tayli glad, because she was afraid of pushing Moonflight too far, and then not have a strong horse when she needed one. She was constantly aware of her bow and arrows bouncing along with her on her saddle, and they made her painfully aware of what she had done the night before. Focusing on the group in the distance, Tayli pushed those thoughts out of her head hard.  
  
The knights ate while riding. Tayli did not eat-she couldn't waste her small food supply.  
  
^^^^^^^^^^  
  
It was astonishing to her that these men, who called themselves knights, hadn't bothered to look behind them the whole day. It was twilight, tiny pinpricks of stars just starting to show above her in the vast area of the sky. A cooling wind had replaced the warmth of the day, and the cheerful campfire set up only a few tempting yards away blazed merrily in the darkness. Tayli stood in the gloomy shadows outside of the camp, watching. She had managed to catch a fatefully inquisitive rabbit, and soon, once it was totally dark, she would light her own, small campfire and roast it.  
  
For now, Tayli was content just to observe the men she had followed these last days as they prepared to bed down. By listening, she could hear their names and see much of their personalities. First, she examined the prince, her next sovereign, and the one she was protecting. He was what people tended to call handsome (Tayli did not understand why her fellow humans insisted on judging others by their appearance), and seemed to be ready to laugh at anything. His eyes sparkled in the firelight, and she recognized an urge to be away from home and have an adventure-she felt it too, sometimes. His feet, she noticed, were smaller than she had ever seen, meaning that he had fairy blood in him. His frame was lanky, and he seemed often to bump into the knights, who laughed good-naturedly. He was quite clumsy, but she had seen that he rode with a natural grace and elegance. In all, she judged from his appearance that he was kind and would make a good ruler.  
  
There were, as she had guessed before, 10 knights accompanying him. The oldest she guessed was about 40, but he did not look the older for it-she saw that they all looked at him with respect, and understood that his opinion was an important factor in all their decisions. He reminded her slightly of Master Menlan, kind, understanding, and a good fighter. He was of moderate height, with a thick chest and muscular limbs. He also had a close-cropped beard. 'Michael,' she heard him called. Apparently these men were all friends, not bothering with titles.  
  
The next knight that caught her attention was Sir Luke. He seemed to her to be the comedian of the group, for he laughed the best and oftenest. While they were eating, she saw him get up and do impressions of various people at court, accompanied by the roaring laughter of the others. Luke was built to be funny, unbelievably tall and very skinny, though she sensed a hidden power in his seemingly stretched frame, with which he could do almost any twist or bend. His nose was large, and the warped light from the fire threw even larger shadows around it. He had a square, stubborn jaw, and his eyes large and kind looking.  
  
Sir Bertram, and Sir Jonathan were twins. Their only visible difference was that Jonathan had his hair long, while Bertram's was cut very close to his head. They were both short and stocky, with light hair and square faces. They seemed like grim, wary men, which suited Tayli-the warier you were, the safer. Bertram (or Bert) was a silent, brooding type, though he had to be good by nature to be a knight in the first place. His twin seemed more outspoken about his doubts.  
  
She noticed Garram because he seemed much less of a fighter than his companions. He was in all aspects in-between, from his height to his attractiveness to his personality. Tayli thought,   
  
The next two, she learned to distinguish because they were best friends. Sirs Natal and Frenery were like brothers, and never strayed far from the other's side. There was nothing very noticeable about them except for that fact, but she did see that Natal carried a bow, which she noted with a mental note to see how good his shot was, and that Frenery's sword was not as wide or flat as a normal kind-almost a cross between a saber and a broadsword, making it look like a very agile thing.  
  
Zachary and Jerrold (named for the king, she assumed) were looking over the horses with perfect attention to every little detail, conversing to each other about the animal's performances that day. They were real horsemen, she could tell, and had most likely learned to ride as they walked. Both their mounts tended to follow them around unless they were tethered, and the animals, despite their heftiness, were beautiful and sleek, and showed plainly that they were well taken care of.  
  
Lastly, Sir William. He was obviously the youngest of them, and seemed a little preoccupied. He was handsome, she saw, though not so much so as Prince Terian, with hair that looked neither dark nor light with the light of the fire on it, and an open, laughing face. He was often the butt of their jokes, but took it with good humor, resigned to being the baby of the party.  
  
The men joked and talked, but there was also a grim air that Tayli guessed was the fear of another attack in the night. This time, they would guard more alertly.  
  
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A/N: Thank you all my faithful reviewers! I love you all!  
  
Fearless-Sweep-Gurl: I hope this chapter is long enough! I spent a lot of time on it.  
  
Alqualyn: Well, she's keeping hidden because Menlan told her to, and Menlan told her to because the old gnome told him. There's a reason, you'll see later on! I promise!  
  
Daydream: Thanks! Terian's only 16! Cut him some slack! How would you react if there was a dead man on your floor? J/K, hope you keep reviewing!  
  
TallemeraRane: I know, there will be more dialogue coming up. Pinky swear. Thank you for reviewing! And Tayli will meet Terian in the very next chapter!  
  
Blue-la-shoo: I love my spell-checker! It is so nice; I don't have to proofread it! YES! Thank you so much. Writing is fun :-P! By the way, I like your pen name.  
  
LoniGirl: Here ya go!  
  
PrincessofBarzel: Thanks! I hate it when, in books, characters just kill each other and don't even think about it, don't you? 


	8. Chasm

A/N: Dum dum dum.Tayli meets Terian.but do they really meet?  
  
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Tayli woke, belly still full from her late-night meal, and the rest of it packed away in her saddlebags. It was false dawn, because she always woke early. The knights had camped in a sort of bowl on top of a small hill, and she had camped on the other side of it, well out of sight.. Moonflight was tethered to a tiny tree nearby, still dozing, lips twitching as he dreamed a horse dream, probably about grass, to judge by the way he was chewing air. Tayli, still lying down, smiled quietly. Suddenly, she was seized by a wave of homesickness, for her beloved Masters, especially Master Menlan, a father to her in so many ways. What was he doing without her, his student and confidant? Did he miss her at all? She remembered their last conversation, and the way his eyes had been sad as she left. But homesickness was soon replaced by determination. She would do her masters proud, and then go back to them a proven warrior.  
  
Sighing softly, she got out of the roll she had made of her cloak on the ground. She put it on, and then donned her hood and veil, just in case. Slowly creeping up the small hill, she saw that Sir Jonathan was on guard, sitting huddled by the meager remainder of the fire, and facing the other way. Silently, she moved back out of sight, and soon she heard the gentle clinking of cutlery and the quiet murmurs of eating. Chewing meditatively on a cold, tough piece of rabbit meat, Tayli kept her ears sharp on the conversation. Some of it, she noticed with a slight chill, was about the mystery of who had shot the prince's almost-assassin. Trying to put it out of her mind, she focused on the rest of the talk instead-they would reach Lubran in roughly 5 days. Lubran meant mountains, Tayli knew, and she felt an intense curiosity to see the things that she had heard, and read, so much about. She was startled out of imagining what mountains were like when she heard Terian's voice, loud and clear.  
  
"I'm going to go walk around in that small patch of woodlands over there. I'll be back soon." Inching back up to the crest of the hill, Tayli saw the prince walk in the opposite direction to her, over the hill on the other side of his camp. A little distance away, there was one of the characteristic small patches of trees that were found all over the Bowl. Crawling back down, she hurriedly fetched her bow and a few arrows, absentmindedly leaving the remains of her breakfast and her water flask in the pockets of her cloak and, leaving a curious Moonflight behind, skirted the hill where the knights were and hurried after her prince. He was already in the trees and walking farther and farther into them, and as she reached the edge, she saw him a small distance away, still walking, but at a leisurely pace. Walking softly, Tayli followed, keeping behind trees and careful not to make any noise. Suddenly he stopped in front of her, staring at the ground as if transfixed. She crept up closer, and, seeing a tree that she could get into easily, reached and pulled herself up. The leaves rustled as she settled down, but she was out of sight before Terian turned to look around.  
  
^^^^^^^^^  
  
Dismissing what he'd heard as the sound of a bird or squirrel, Terian turned back around and stared at the ground near his feet. Only a few inches away from his booted toes, a deep, dark chasm stretched like a rip in the earth. It was wide, much to wide for him to jump over, and went so far down that the rocks on the bottom were lost in an impenetrable, silent blackness. Exited and awed, Terian bent a little and hallooed down. He heard his voice repeated off the chasm walls, magnified and deeper than it really was. Pleased, he didn't notice until it was too late that the ground in front of his toes was crumbling and falling. Suddenly his stomach dropped as the earth under his feet became air and he fell down.  
  
Somehow, Terian managed to twist around and grab the new edge of the chasm as dirt and rocks rained down around him and fell, with dim, eerie splashes to the bottom. Terrified, he willed his fingers to grip so he wouldn't fall, but he could feel the sweat gathering on them and knew that it wouldn't be long until he'd slip and drop. His throat was screwed tight, and, try as he could, he couldn't cry out for help. He was getting dizzy with the effort of holding himself up when he felt gloved hands gripping his wrist.  
  
Looking up, he saw a figure, a dark shadow against the light of the sun. Crazy with relief, he felt it heave once, which got his torso safely up, and then it pulled as he scrabbled to get his legs up to. Drained, Terian crawled back a ways into the trees, and plopped down at the base of one, leaning back against it. For the first time, he got a good look at his rescuer, who was crouched, warily, he thought, a few yards away.  
  
It was a man, wrapped in a heavy black cloak that covered his entire body, with a hood pulled up over his head and a veil so dark it did not even give a hint of his face. It seemed like an apparition, this silent, black- clothed man. Even the boots and gloves were black, he saw, and, without thinking further on it, took in the bow and black-fletched arrows on his back. Terian could not help being a little afraid of the man who had rescued him, seeing how untrustworthy he looked like this.  
  
Naturally, he started when, after a few unbroken minutes of staring at each other, his companion reached into a deep pocket in his cloak and brought out something, which he held out to Terian. Curious, the prince looked closer. It was a flask, he saw. Tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth with thirst, he looked longingly at the thing that could refresh him and give him some of his senses back. But a voice in his mind warned him that it might be poisoned-after all, it said, who could trust a man who would not show his face to a prince? Another voice argued that hadn't this man just rescued that prince? But Terian decided to go with the safer, if less satisfying option, and shook his head, declining it. To his amazement, the man didn't insist, or try to prove that it wasn't poisoned by drinking from it himself, but merely shrugged and made to put the flask away again. This silenced the safe voice in Terian's mind and enhanced the thirsty one.  
  
"Wait." The man stopped, looked at him for a moment, and then handed the flask back. With shaking fingers, Terian took it, uncorked it, and brought it to his lips. Pure, sweet water ran past his lips and into his parched throat. This could not be poisoned, he thought. It was too much like regular water, only better because he wanted it so much. He drank it all, and then handed the flask back to its owner, who, to his surprise, stood, turned, and walked away. Gaping after him, Terian didn't think to call him back, merely to let the strange person go, a head back to camp a little later, after he had collected sufficient wits to answer questions.  
  
^^^^^^^^^^  
  
Tayli strode back to Moonflight in a sort of haze. She had just saved Terian's life a second time, and she did not feel exited or that he owed her anything-she merely felt bewildered that he had asked her no questions. The only thing that had broken their silence was a single word, with which he had shown that he trusted her. That was all very well, but she could not help thinking that she would not have trusted someone dressed like she was. It was peculiar.  
  
The prince, from closer by, was even more handsome than he had been in the firelight the night before. His hair was a dark, slightly curly brown, and he had startlingly intense green eyes. All the humor had left him, today, and had been replaced by terror and exhaustion. No, she reminded herself, she had not seen a coward, only someone who had never experienced anything like that before.  
  
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A/N: So, what do you think? I want you guys to tell me who you think Tayli is going to hook up with-just to see what you all think! 


	9. Note From Bookworm0706

Well, sorry to have gotten your hopes up, but this isn't a new chapter. Just a LONG note from me.  
  
First of, I am SO SORRY not to have updated in forever. It is very mean of me. I don't have any excuses, not that that would make you any less mad. Can you forgive me in time? Please?  
  
Second, after this and maybe another chapter, I won't be updating again for almost a week because I'm going to camp. So you'll have to sit tight for a little bit. After that, I think there will be 2 or 3 chapters comparatively quickly, and then I have no clue! I am so evil for doing this to you! * Sob *!  
  
Okay, now I want to respond to my reviewers-I LOVE YOU! Thank you so many people for reviewing! By the way: I'm not going to answer any comments on who she will end up with! I'm not promising anything: I've already made up my mind on who it will be-and it may not be who you expect.  
  
Shayley Rain: Thanks! I hate it when stories always have the same plot line!  
  
Alqualyne: Thanks! I'll try hard to keep writing!  
  
PrincessofBarzel: I don't know-I guess Terian is a little * cough cough * 'inexperienced'. Maybe he didn't think it would fall-or maybe he was just dumb!  
  
TallemeraRane: And I keep forgetting to write chapters! Sorry to keep you waiting!  
  
Blue-la-shoo: Well, here's another secret: *whispering * That feeling you're having about who Tayli will hook up with. Maybe it's more than a feeling! (Hint hint). But.sh! It's our secret!  
  
Loni: You are one who will be surprised at the twists and turns of the story! Thanks for the review!  
  
*****Important: There is one reviewer's note that I accidentally deleted! I can't find it anymore, sorry that I'm not responding to your review! But thank you for reviewing anyway! 


	10. Awareness

Terian must have looked a little worse for wear when he walked, as composed as he could be, back into camp, because Sir Michael immediately noticed his dirty and sweat-soaked clothes and his dirt-caked fingers. This was nowhere near normal, as the knight pointed out to his prince. Terian could do nothing but agree, and insist that he could not tell his story until all of the companions were assembled. The older man grudgingly agreed and then escorted the prince back to camp, where the group was quickly gathered.  
  
Terian, nervous to tell something that perhaps he should have kept quiet about, unfolded his tale hesitatingly but with detail as to all that had happened. He left nothing out-what use would it be to lie to his friends? He described in full the man's clothes and peculiar behavior, adding that he had been armed with a bow and arrows. When he finished with his own arrival back to camp, there was a moment's quiet as the knights digested this strange tale. A moment, and then there was a storm of questions, all at the same time.  
  
"A man, you said?"  
  
"Dressed in all black."  
  
"You drank from his flask?"  
  
"He would not show you his face, then?"  
  
"So he saved you but would not identify himself?"  
  
"But he save you from falling off the cliff. Isn't that worth some trust?"  
  
"Were you hurt when you almost fell off the cliff?"  
  
"Maybe he spoke a different language."  
  
"Not to be trusted, if you ask me."  
  
"Are you sure you're alright?"  
  
They all looked at each other, bewildered for a minute at the simultaneous questions. Then Terian, who could see the humor of the situation, gave voice to a bubbling chuckle, which soon turned into an all-out, mirthful laugh. It wasn't long until all the knights but one were laughing with him- the Prince's laugh was contagious.  
  
But Sir William, apparently, found no humor in the situation that accosted them. He stared out in front of him pensively, his face clouded and troubled. Luke, his best friend, was the first to notice.  
  
"What's the matter, Willi?" he asked carefully, wondering at his friend's uncharacteristic silence.  
  
"I've been thinking," came the answer. Addressing the prince informally, as was the habit, he continued, "Terian, you said he was armed with a bow and arrows. Did you, by any chance, note how they were fletched?" The prince stared at him unbelievingly. Surely that couldn't be. He pictured the man sitting before him-mysterious and silent. Mentally he checked over the appearance. Black cloak, black hood, and.  
  
"Black," Terian croaked, mouth dry with apprehension and a twinge of fear for the unknown. William nodded, as if that confirmed what he had been thinking, and, while the astonished and wondering knights looked on, went to his horse and busied himself with pulling something out of his saddlebags. He returned with something long and thin wrapped in a scrap of cloth.  
  
"He can't have kept it?" Terian heard Sir Bertram murmur unbelievingly to his neighbor. But, as they soon saw, he had kept it, for reasons that he alone must know. He kneeled down and laid his package on the ground. Slowly, the cloth was folded away, to reveal the bloodstained shaft that had killed Terian's would-be assassin. Straight and long, the shaft was made out of good wood, with a sharp, stained metal point at one end and smooth black feathers at the other. It was a fearful sight.  
  
William looked Terian straight in the eye, his gaze earnest and troubled. "Did they look like this?" he asked gravely into the hush that had come over the whole party. Mirth had made way for danger. The sight of the arrow struck a chord in Terian's memory, and he saw the black man's arrows vividly before him. They looked exactly alike. Slowly, the youth nodded.  
  
"I can't tell the difference," was his reply. Now William, who kept everything that might be of use, once again produced one of the black feathers that they had found in the cave they had slept in their first night out of Bast. He placed it next to the first one. Though slightly crumpled, it still struck Terian as very similar.  
  
"We have here three incidences," Sir Michael said gravely, leaning back on his heels. "We can choose to believe that it is coincidence, or we can think that we're being followed, for danger or for good. It's up to you." The knights looked at each other in the hush that followed, and then each rose, as if on signal, went to their horses with a grim determination that slightly awed Terian, and strapped on shining, little used swords, and, in a few cases, arrows. They were preparing themselves for what might happen.  
  
^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
The knights rode out at noon, and their heightened awareness convinced Tayli that they knew at least a little of her presence. She followed at a farther distance now and tried to hide herself by keeping to the shade of trees, and hills, but she knew that they saw her. The day was bright and clear, with a slight breeze making the air seem light, and if she had to be able to see them, it meant that they could also see her. Still, she could keep away, and give them no more of a clue to her presence than they already had.  
  
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A/N: It'll be a while till I write again-have patience! 


	11. Discussions

It was the eve of the day of Terian's near-fateful accident. The knights were gathered around the central table of the sole inn in the small town that they had come across.  
  
It was quite isolated, tucked away in the hills that were now becoming much more prominent. It's name was Woodsbend, named for the fine, dark trees that grew around a large, clear river that twisted its way through the hills in which it was cradled. The people didn't grow many crops, for the soil wasn't very fertile. They preferred to buy crops from nearby villages situated among better ground. No, what Woodsbenders did best was carve. Almost the whole population could carve beautiful wood, from spoons to bedsteads to chests. There was an intricate art not only to the carving itself, but also in getting and preparing the wood. Each family had its specialty, with tricks and secrets passed down from generation to generation. The innkeeper and his sons and daughters, for example, were famous for small, delicate work such as combs, jewelry boxes, and medallions.  
  
But the companions gathered there could not pay much attention to the beauty of the woodcarvings or the awe of the people. They were deep in discussion.  
  
"He's followed us all day-keeping out of sight well, for a place like this, but still, you could see him every once in a while if you looked back." Sir Michael's voice was grave.  
  
"Aye, a grim, black figure on a black horse," Sir Jonathan agreed. "Doesn't look safe to me."  
  
"Or me," Sir Bertram put in. "It's not right."  
  
"Come now, fellows," Sir Luke objected, frowning slightly. "Surely a man that saved the prince twice isn't dangerous?"  
  
"But you never know his objectives," Garram put in. "He could just be stalling for time."  
  
"For what? What could he possibly want to do later that he could not have done yet?" This time it was Frenery who spoke, and Natal immediately backed him up.  
  
"That's right. He could have done just about anything to any of us when we didn't know of him. How come he didn't?"  
  
"Maybe he doesn't want to." The voice was soft, but it cut short speculations as they turned to stare at Terian. "Maybe he just wants to help us," the prince repeated.  
  
"But why hide himself? Why not just be open and travel with us?" Sir Michael objected.  
  
"It would be easier," Sir Jerrold said now, "to watch over someone who didn't know of you. And it would give you a safeguard against that person's enemies."  
  
"He's right," Sir Zachary, the other horseman, put in.  
  
The conversation was cut short, however, by the arrival of the food, and the topic wasn't brought up again until the morning.  
  
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As they rode, Tayli trying to keep out of sight but knowing it was futile, the country had changed again. Towards the evening, t became much hillier all of a sudden, as if a great hand had scooped land away from the Bowl and pushed it up to form a steep ridge of mountains. Very few of the hills seemed to slope down, though they were not very steep yet. Every time they crested one of the great mounds, Tayli had been able to see, not so far away, mountains rise up until they touched the clouds and were wrapped in a dense mist. Trees now surrounded them on all sides, but the forest was different than the Bastien one-denser and darker, with huge towering trees that seemed to whip along in the wind. It was nature run truly wild, and Tayli reveled in it. She constantly saw small animals and birds that seemed to light up even the darkest forest with their gay singing.  
  
However, there was a downside to the forest. It meant that she had to follow the pathway, and could no longer hide from the knights and her prince. Luckily they had found a small town with an inn to stay at soon after the landscape changed, and it had diverted their attention from her for a while.  
  
Tayli had found, to her surprise, that the inn was on the outskirts of the village, at a little distance from the other houses. This provided an advantage for her as it allowed her more cover and less chance of being found. Settling down as out of sight as she could get, Tayli thought over her situation grimly. It was obvious that she could not hide herself any longer. She remembered Master Menlan's warning well, but what was she to do? She could not follow them and remain out of sight, and he had made it clear that she was to follow them and protect them at all costs. There was nothing else for it; she would have to remain in sight. She knew that they had seen her, and she knew that they knew that she was following them, but it unsettled her to follow them in plain view. Could she even trust these men? How did she know that they wouldn't try to lure her into a trap or outfight her? Surely they wouldn't let her follow them and not do a thing about it? Or would they?  
  
The questions and doubts flew through Tayli's brain, but she knew that she had no choice. After all, they would not know her, only that someone was following them. Certain that the knights would guard carefully now that they were aware of the danger that inns posed, she lay down to rest next to Moonflight, who browsed sleepily nearby. She was soon as fast asleep as being a light sleeper would let her be.  
  
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In the morning the knights rode out with the grim certainty that if the dark man wanted to keep following them, he would have to do it in plain sight now. As soon as they had been on the road for a few minutes and cresting a hill, Luke turned around in his saddle. He was more than mildly surprised to see a black, billowing figure on a black steed that was still following their hoof prints. He had not been the only one that had had doubts about the likelihood of the continued pursuit of the man in black now that he was forced to follow the path. He shouted out to his companions, who turned as one to look where he pointed. A slight movement in the figure suggested that the watched was also watching them.  
  
Luke watched the reactions of his companions with slight amusement (Luke could find a joke in anything), regardless of what his own had been. Sirs Bertram and Jonathan looked grim. They had never doubted the bad intent of the follower. Garram looked angry, and Frenery and Natal both seemed a little surprised, but cautious all the same. Terian seemed to observe it all with a coolness that woke the older man's admiration at the lad's level headedness. Sir Michael, who always knew what he was about, looked puzzled, and Sirs Jerrold and Zachary nodded at each other in a self-certain way. Both had been sure that the pursuer would continue pursuing.  
  
But out off all these reactions, it was Willi's that worried him. He looked uncommonly grave and quiet. Willi, as Luke affectionately called him, had always been a light-hearted young man, Luke's favorite partner in a joke and best friend. But the assassin incident changed him. No, Luke thought, it came from before then-Willi had sensed something wrong even when they had found the sheltering cave on the first night. He was reserved now, and always had something on his mind, rarely laughed, and always had a pensive, cloudy look on his face. But what could he do? His friend was seeing the world for the first time, and there was nothing Luke could do about it. 


	12. Thief

For two days, Tayli had ridden behind them as far away as she could without losing sight of them. She watched the group, and knew that they watched her, wary of her movements. She was, despite everything, surprised that they had not made an attacking move yet. Half relieved, half wary that they were misleading her and would host a surprise attack during the night, she continued on, following on the rough road that wound up through the now steeper and higher hills.  
  
The forest was unchanged, though the towering mountains seemed much closer now, and she wasn't sure if they were riding over large hills or small mountains. The country, however, was absolutely breathtaking, and the view from the top of a hill, over the smaller hills and up towards the mountains, with a leafy green carpet covering it all, and occasional pockets of lush, fresh grass, was gorgeous. A few clear blue rivers wound through, along with the dusty road, and sometimes a sheer rock face would come into view on a side of a huge mountain ahead of them. Blankets of mist rolled across the valleys and crowned the top of the mountains, giving it all a fairy-like, peaceful quality that she would never forget.  
  
At night, Tayli ventured into the woods to sleep, wrapped up in her cloak. She woke up shivering at the first rays of gray light the next morning. It was getting cool during the day, and cold at night, and everything was wet with pearly drops of dew, and covered in a wispy blanket of fog in the morning. She knew Moonflight, though trained for this sort of mission, was uncomfortable in the enclosed woods, though they could make their way through it soundlessly enough at a walking pace.  
  
At about mid-afternoon of the second day, they saw a small, sturdy log cottage with a clearing cut around it. Tayli, who stopped closer to the knights and Terian than usual, overheard Michael, who had been this way before, say to the prince that it was a traveler's resting place, kept up by the city of Lubran. They would reach 'that beautiful city' within 2 days if nothing-and his tone had darkened-unexpected happened. Tayli assumed that the reference to something 'unexpected' dealt with her.  
  
To the mutual surprise of everyone, there was a horse grazing in the grassy clearing around the cottage, and worn, though well looked-after tack lying close to the door. Obviously someone had been there a short while ago, though they were not there now. The knights released their horses in the field, and stretched out to take a nap, while Sir William mounted guard (Tayli had noticed that he volunteered often-she approved that. Wariness was something that could save your life).  
  
Retreating farther into the forest, Tayli leaned against the tree, her guard up and ears pricked for any sound from the men. It was not surprising, therefore, that she heard the footsteps long before she saw the man.  
  
It was near dark when she started hearing the crunch of feet on dead leaves. For a while, they became louder and then paused, though Tayli could sense that the person stood very close by. She sat watching Moonflight, who had pricked his ears up and was looking behind and slightly to the side of her, nostrils flaring. She and her dark cloak had blended almost perfectly into the shadow of the huge tree she leaned against, and not a sound or movement betrayed her presence to the unknown thing behind her. It had obviously made up its mind, because it walked forward and into Tayli's line of vision. In the dusk, she could barely make out the figure of a man, approaching her horse as silently as possible. Tayli waited patiently. When he had reached the quivering and nervous horse, he proceeded to astound his silent watcher. Undoing the first of her saddlebags, he quickly and glibly reached inside. resounded in Tayli's mind, and she sprang up, plunging her hand inside her cloak and grasping a dagger handle.  
  
The man whirled round and before he could do anything else, the sharp blade had flown out of Tayli's grasp and thudded into the arm with which he was stealing something of hers. Tayli silently congratulated herself on not accidentally killing the man-she just wanted to teach him a lesson. For a moment, the thief stared in shock at the blade imbedded in his arm, as if not believing that it was there. Tayli knew how he felt-it had happened often enough to her. For the first second, you felt no pain.  
  
Transferring his attention from his arm, on which a dark stain of blood was spreading, to Tayli, the man screamed, loud and horrible, as if scared out of his mind. Moonflight, panicking slightly, reared and voiced an as-loud neigh, almost striking the man with his flailing front hoofs. The last Tayli saw of him was his back as he fled crashing through the woods.  
  
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Garram jumped up from his crouch by the large, crackling fire as a loud, human scream rent the peaceful night air in two. His fellows stared at each other in shock, and a trace of fear as a neigh that sounded as if it came from a demon-horse came right after.  
  
It was only a moment before they heard crashing in the woods outside, and then the thud of feet by the door. The men armed themselves, steeling for whatever might come, when the door was pushed open to reveal a man leaning on the doorframe and clutching his arm, which was stained with dripping blood and boasted a protruding knife. The newcomer stared at them hazily for a minute before collapsing to the ground.  
  
Garram, the healer, took immediate charge of the situation, even before the others had gathered their wits. "Carry him here, to the fire, but be careful! Luke, get some water and try to get him to swallow. Bert, bath his face with a wet cloth. Michael, you try to gently take his shirt off. Whatever you do, DON'T REMOVE THE KNIFE! William, I'll need my bandages-in my saddlebags-and cut long strips in your worst shirt. Natal and Frenery, go and a bowl-full of water from the barrel that we found, we'll need it. Now move aside, all of you! Hand me a wet cloth, someone, I'll have to clean this before I can work. It's stopped bleeding much, that's good. Zachary, Jerrold, hold him down, he may become conscious now, this will hurt him." And the stranger did become conscious with a groan as he tried to sit up. He was forced down again, but as soon as Garram finished expertly cleaning and bandaging the wound and making a sling, he was allowed to sit up and was fed.  
  
"Now tell us your story," Michael said gravely. 


	13. Sir Samuel

THE RETURNING AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm back! I am so sorry that I haven't updated this story in half a year-my excuse would be a confusing mix of an across- the-globe move, a new school, no Internet access, and exams. All of which would be true, but really wouldn't make up for it. But I've got the whole story pretty much planned out now, and I promise I will put up 2 chapters a week at least from now on, unless I really can't. Another plus: I've got the computer in my room now, so no one bugs me to get off. Well, enjoy the story!  
  
Wormy  
  
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EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FOR ALL MY READERS!!!!!!! READING MY STORY, I DISCOVERED THAT I FORGOT TO ADD IN ALL OF 3 CHAPTERS! PLEASE GO BACK FROM THE BEGINNING AND READ THEM!!!!  
  
Sorry,  
  
Wormy  
  
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"Now tell us your story," Michael said gravely. The knights waited expectantly as the stranger finished chewing. His features were chiseled and suggested a difficult life, but the man was not altogether bad looking. He must have been fairly attractive earlier in his life, but he looked to be well on in his 30s now and had lost much of the bloom of youth. His eyes were dark and shrewd, his hair and close-cut beard black. His clothes, when clean and mended, denoted not a rich, but a fairly well to do merchant. He took a slightly shuddering breath, and began.  
  
"Thank you, kind Sirs, Your Highness, for rescuing me. My name is Sir Samuel of Lubran. I was a prosperous merchant there, but my business took a sharp downturn, which is why I am not dressed more richly. I was on my way to Bast to make a deal that could make me prosperous once again. Well, I arrived here and, seeing as I didn't think anyone else would come, I took a walk up one of those mountains. Unfortunately, it was almost dark by the time I had the sense to come back. While I was walking, I came across a small clearing. I was surprised when I saw a horse standing in it, tack and all. I went forward to see when all of a sudden a huge"-he shuddered- "something-like a shadow right out of a child's dream-rose up and threw that blade at me. I was just in time to block with my arm; otherwise I wouldn't be here now. Then the horse tried to kick my head in. . . I was just in time to escape. Maybe I wouldn't be alive very long, if not for you kind men. I thank you." Sir Samuel's voice had gotten lower and hoarse, and now he leaned back against the wall, fatigue finally taking him.  
  
The knights waited until he was asleep before discussing Sir Samuel's story.  
  
"I knew it," Bertram growled. "I knew that man was up to no good." The others silently nodded. A few had been shocked, at first, but now they were all of one mind. Something had to be done.  
  
"I'm going out there," Bertram said, his face determined. "As soon as it gets light, I'm going to give that-that ogre a piece of my mind."  
  
"You can't go alone," Michael objected reasonably, his face grave and serious.  
  
"Let me go!" Frenery put it. "I am one of the best swordsmen."  
  
"And I," Natal added, sticking by his friend, "for I can cover you during the fight." His hand gestured towards his bow, stashed on the other side of the cottage.  
  
"I will stay," Garram said quietly. He looked at Sir Samuel, and Michael nodded. The oldest knight led the operation, as usual.  
  
"And I." The determined, but strangely resigned voice was William's. "I will watch the Prince." They all looked at Terian, who had been sitting quietly. Now his spine straightened as he looked at William like a true royal.  
  
"You will do no such thing," he said, using the voice that sent servants scurrying to do his bidding, "I'm going along."  
  
Instead of growing angry, Michaels voice was quiet, his eyes hard. "I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but you will find yourself staying here until we come back. You cannot go where you will be in danger." Prince Terian looked him defiantly in the eye for several long moments, and then gave up. Sulking, he stalked away, unrolled his bedroll, and flopped down with his back to them.  
  
Luke chuckled softly. "He needs more of that," he said so that the sixteen- year-old couldn't hear him. Michael smiled.  
  
"Aye," he said, "he's a lad yet." Then, in a more serious voice, "All right, Bertram, Natal, Frenery and myself will go. More is not needed against one man." He raised a hand to stem the objections. "William, Garram, and Jonathan with stay. The rest will go out to hunt and scout out the area."  
  
Michael's word, though sometimes resented, was always final, due to long habit and respect.  
  
"I will take the night watch," William volunteered, and, with that, they rolled out their bedrolls and tried to find sleep.  
  
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Tayli was afraid. She knew, as sure as she knew her own name, that the thief would lie and turn them against her, and that she could expect visitors as soon as it was light enough to fight.  
  
She had made preparations, stashing Moonflight away from the clearing, hidden in the dark of the forest. Then, she had taken to the trees, climbing the highest one nearby, yet not right next to the clearing. Her cloak was wrapped around her, her bow strung during her anxious night vigil. But something else scared her.  
  
She didn't want to kill another man. With all her heart, she did not want to do that again. Yet what would she do? If she let them capture her, she would fail. If she hurt one of them, she would also fail, in a way. It could not work out. Tayli leaned anxiously against the trunk of her chosen tree and waited for the dawn, which would bring the hardest test so far.  
  
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A/N: So, did you like it? I know I've been horrible and don't deserve it, but please review! 


	14. Swords

A/N: Thank you to all my reviewers! Due to some quirk on the Internet I can't check my reviews right now, but thank you to everyone who took the time!  
  
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Dawn came, spreading its rosy tendrils of light out and across the mountains, to filter in between the leaves of the many trees and land with soft green light on the leaf-strewn forest floor. Small animals stirred in their burrows, and started their daily hunt for food and survival, and larger, untroubled beasts stretched luxuriously in the sun's rays. Lizards, frogs, newts, and snakes all crept out from under the rustling leaves to sun on their favorite rock, and bird song filled the air, marking territories, singing love songs, and just chirping their heart out.  
  
All the glory of this sunrise was lost on the 4 grim men who entered silently into the forest. At least-they thought they were being silent. But Bertram, Frenery, Natal, and Michael made more than enough noise to alert a pair of finely tuned, expectant ears. Tayli stretched out her limbs and massaged circulation and suppleness back into them as soon as she heard the knights coming, the prickle and sting of her reviving arms and legs serving to make her alert and ready. Standing up on the broad limb she had chosen, she took up position, putting her left leg on a limb on the other side, and wrapping her right arm around the trunk. She held her bow with her free hand and twanged the string with the one around the tree. Reaching into her quiver, she drew out an arrow, nerving herself and hoping that she wouldn't have to shoot at anyone.  
  
From her viewpoint, she could easily see the 4 men stepping into the clearing. Two carried bows-Natal, she saw, and the eldest, Michael. The ones she recognized as Bertram and Frenery carried unsheathed blades. They stopped in the clearing and looked around cautiously. Tayli had hidden her tracks well. * Chances are that they want me alive, * she mused. * So I don't think they'll shoot at me. I hope. * Taking a risk, she loosed an arrow straight into the grass. It landed with a thunk right in the center of the searchers. She had another arrow ready before they looked up to see her black-cloaked figure. Tayli knew she looked suspicious, with her hood and veil up, gloves, boots, and her deadly array of weapons. They had no real reason to trust her.  
  
The men looked up, pointing at her.  
  
"Get down here!" Michael shouted. "We won't shoot if you don't make us!" It was better to go down, Tayli reasoned, or they would shoot-after all, they thought her a murderess. Hanging her bow and quiver up on a small limb (she didn't want them to be taken from her), Tayli started making her way down the tree. In seconds she was on the ground, sword drawn, in a defensive position. Carefully, she walked into the clearing, to be confronted by two swords-a broadsword like hers, and Frenery's thinner, agile blade.  
  
Michael and Natal's bows were still taught. If they fired now, she figured, the powerful weapons could send an arrow right through her. Luckily, they looked like they were only covering their friends. Bertram and Frenery advanced on Tayli, swords pointing straight ahead. She crouched, sword up and to the front.  
  
Tayli loved her sword. It had been a gift from her Masters when she came of age. In warrior terms that meant a small mission to test the student when her turned 16. If they passed, they earned warrior status, though a few, like Tayli, stayed and became even better at the fighting art. The hilt of her sword was wrapped in black leather, and their was a small amethyst stone embedded in the pommel-the color of her eyes. The blade was made out of a perfectly balanced, effective mixture of gnomish metals. The scabbard and sword belt were black leather, reinforced because Tayli kept her blade perfectly honed. Like all good sword, it had a name: Kanai el' kumme (A/N: pronounced kanaiElkum).  
  
She hefted it now, and suddenly an experience she'd had as a young girl flashed across her mind. Menlan had taken her to Bast, with its crowds of people pressing up on all sides of her. She'd tried to get away from the multitude, and found herself in an alleyway, surrounded by older boys with knives, while she'd only had her small dagger. She'd tried to fight, but, out-numbered and out-aged, had had to be rescued by Menlan. But she was experienced now, Tayli reminded herself, and trained for this.  
  
Slowly, she and the two knights circled each other. She had an advantage in the fact that they couldn't see her face, hiding any telltale signs of calculations. When Bertram tried to sneak behind her she only stepped back farther, keeping the circle intact. Slowly, warily, nerves taught, they walked around, waiting for an opportunity.  
  
Frenery lunged. Tayli swept up and blocked him, the sent him stumbling backwards with a shove. Unlike him, she held her blade in two hands to give more power. Now Bertram came, sweeping in a low arc to get her legs. She stepped back, the brought Kanai el' kumme up to meet the arc of his swing. They locked swords. Out of the corner of her eye, Tayli saw Frenery creeping in behind her. His sword was low. IN one fluid motion, Tayli sidestepped, swinging her sword down and around to clang against Frenery's, deftly flicking it in a trick she'd learned. It worked-he was disarmed just as Bertram's sword hit the ground where she'd been standing the moment before. Now the battle was on. The ringing sounds of metal against metal filled the air. She'd almost never been this hard-pressed, though Tayli kept them off. One of them at a time would have been easy to handle, but 2, rounding and sneaking and weeping, were more difficult. Though she took care only to shred their clothes when she swung, they only wanted her alive- wounds didn't matter. By the end, she'd run up several slashes on her arms, legs, and chest. They bled freely, but she gritted her teeth against the pain and kept fighting-she'd had much worse done to her before.  
  
Silently, Michael and Natal watched as the fight raged on.  
  
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William, drowsy from a night's lack of sleep, sat leaning against the cottage and soon dozed off. He woke to the sound of someone crashing through the woods. Jumping up, William cast about wildly-and saw that Terian had disappeared. He'd snuck off to fight. Cursing, William followed him into the trees.  
  
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The crossing of blades continued. Tayli found herself with both swords pressing against hers. She sweated, trying to hold off their pressure, but finding herself being pressed backwards anyway. Just then, she heard the crazed neigh that meant that Moonflight was panicked of angry. Then a human scream-she recognized the voice-Terian. If Terian was near Moonflight now, her was in trouble-big trouble. Her mount wouldn't tolerate anyone near him but Tayli and the stable hands at home when he was alone. If she was near him, he'd keep calm fairly better. If she was mounted or holding him, Moonflight really couldn't care less. But now, Tayli wasn't even in sight.  
  
She looked into Bertram's face, and Frenery's. They pushed down hard, but had been distracted by the scram. Now was the time. Suddenly, she jumped back, unlocking the swords, and ran to where she'd left her horse, sheathing Kanai el' kumme as she went. Her wounds throbbed and biting pain in her legs meant that they were wounded too. An arrow thudded into the ground by her feet. Oblivious to the pain, she pelted out of the clearing, expertly dodging trees as she went. It took only moments until she reached her horse.  
  
Moonflight was rearing, powerful muscles standing out on his sleek frame, eyes rolling white in their sockets. He pawed the air, hooves flailing as they tried to find their target-Terian, who half-dangled from the reins, terror clenching his grip. He'd obviously tried to capture the stallion, and the plan had backfired.  
  
Tayli paused for breath and in that moment, she saw Moonflight's front hoof come up in a deadly arc that she knew would land right on Terian's head. That, Tayli knew, could kill him. She couldn't let it happen. She lunged, cloak billowing behind her, knocking Terian away and at the same time grabbing Moonflight's head, pulling him down. As soon as he saw her, the stallion relaxed a little and lowered his hoofs to the ground. Tayli rubbed his head soothingly and he butted against her. Grasping the reins, Tayli looked around for Terian. He had released his grip when she had shoved him out of harm's way. Falling a few feet away, he'd scrambled into a sitting position, fear still in his eyes. She stretched out a hand to help him up, wondering if he'd take it. The Prince hesitated, and then placed his hand in hers. She pulled him up, but he didn't let go. She looked Terian full in the face then, his eyes on level with hers. Although he couldn't see, she met his wide green eyes, taking a moment just to let him trust her.  
  
"Thank you," he said softly after a while, startling her a little. She inclined her head slightly in an almost imperceptible nod-Tayli couldn't even be sure he'd seen it. Suddenly, she heard voices and the pounding of feet in the woods. Jerking her hand loose, she looked around quickly before mounting Moonflight, fast, and then spurring him into motion. In seconds they had disappeared into the trees-right before the knights spotted Terian.  
  
Tayli rode in an arc back to where she'd left her bow and quiver, got them out of the tree in record time, and then rode until she was on the other side of the cottage-* that should confuse them * she thought, satisfied but still apprehensive.  
  
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A/N: Well? Is it good? In the next chapter you'll find out much more about Tayli, her sword, and that strange strange name- Kanai el' kumme. 


	15. The Kiin

A/N: THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! I feel so special now that everyone has reviewed even though I've been bad! Thanks so much! I'll answer reviews at the end of the chapter.  
  
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Around the same time that Michael, Natal, Frenery, Bertram, and William were giving Terian a severe talking to, Jonathan, sitting at the front of the cottage, heard a slight rustling noise to the side of it, where the horses were stabled. Bored, he decided he'd go see what had made their mounts so restless. Stretching, Jon rose, enjoying the feel of the sun on his toned body. He walked around the cottage and froze for a split-second at the shock of what was going on. Sir Samuel was there, surrounded by their packs, and he seemed to be very agilely-as far as it was possible with one hand-to be searching them. Already there was a small pile of possessions at his side-coins, frames, daggers, and anything else that was of value to the knights. The saddlebags, too, had been plundered, and the horses were shifting nervously at the strange man. But worst of all, Sir Garram was sprawled a small distance away, obviously out cold.  
  
Sir Jon felt a rage build in him, a rage at the man who had stolen their trust and knocked out their healer, a rage at the bad luck that had cast him on their trail, but most of all, a rage at themselves, and most of all himself, for believing him so naively. It only lasted a split second before he'd taken it all in and acted upon it, and 'Sir Samuel' found a blade hovering an inch away from his chest.  
  
"Don't move," Jonathan growled out, "Don't even speak until I say so." The thief froze, terrorized into obeying.  
  
It was almost half an hour before the fighting party trooped back, and Jon's arm was beginning to get sore. He could tell by the thief's tense posture that he must be cramping up also.  
  
"Well, well, well," Michael said. "What have we here?"  
  
It didn't take long before the whole story was forced out of the man. His real name was Joseph Monk, and he was a professional thief on the run from the authorities in Lubran. He had been stealing from the black-cloaked man when said person had attacked him, and had later attacked Garram, planning on taking what he could, including a new mount, and running off. Unfortunately, the thief hadn't known that Sir Jon was staying behind too.  
  
And, with this revelation, and Terian's assurances that the man had, indeed, saved him, the knights' trust in Tayli was restored-at least, almost.  
  
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Tayli knew all this, of course. Why shouldn't she? She was always watching them, and now hadn't been an exception. After treating her own wounds (which had stung, but she'd bit her tongue and lived), she had gone back to watching and being there. But it was evening now, and the knights, who had resigned themselves to another night in the cottage, were bedding down. Tayli moved away and did so as well, and then relaxed against a tree, thinking.  
  
She took her sword out of its sheath and just admired it, as she'd done so many times since she'd gotten it two years ago. The pommel stone seemed to be aflame inside it, catching the dying sun's last rays and changing them in the depths of it to burst out again in a flame of every shade purple, red, and blue. It was a breathtakingly beautiful stone, cut round and cool when she put her hands to it.  
  
The leather-wrapped hilt fit her hand perfectly, the leather worn at the fingertips and palm, so that her hands fit into long-made grooves whenever she held it, reveling in the power that she could almost feel humming through her bones when she held the deadly weapon that was all her own.  
  
The blade reflected the sunset too, turning it into liquid fire as the light played along the shining, honed edge, bring the groove in the center and the strange, flowing script etched into the blade into sharp detail. Tayli traced her hand over the inscription. It was in the secret language of all the warrior organizations, Kiil (A/N: Key-ill), the flowing script beautiful and graceful, yet dangerous in its beauty, because it often held secrets that had been well hidden for a good reason (A/N: For the writing, think of something like a cross between cursive and Arabic).  
  
Tayli, Kanai el' kumme, the inscriptions read. Tayli, Soul of power.  
  
Most people thought, if they ever came upon a training school or group of warriors, that they were nothing more than a group of shallow fighters, mercenaries. How wrong they were. Warriors were part of a hidden civilization, with a history, stories, and customs. They called themselves the Protectors, the Kiin. (A/N: Key-in)  
  
The Kiin had been founded, centuries and centuries ago, by a man, Kael (A/N: Ki-el) sick of all the evil that was happening around him, sick of all the bad that people did. He invited the best of the best of fighters to go away with him, hide themselves, and devote their lives to fighting for justice, and training others to carry on their mission. They took orphans and promising young lads, and led them away, and became the legend that they were now. The boys were trained in fighting, but they also became learned, and courteous, and many became wise. And on their sixteenth birthday, each young man would set out with a small mission, challenging but not all that dangerous, and, when they returned, became a warrior. Later, when these boys grew older, they would become the trainers, and carry the burden on their strong shoulders. The Kiin developed their own language, their own writing, signals, and etiquette, all-important for a group that functioned well, and spread over many, many countries.  
  
Tayli had been named for one of the Kiin's legends (all based on fact, but slightly twisted with time), a spunky girl who had once saved a country because of her willpower and resistance. She had been the daughter of a Kiin master, and later became the friend and confidant of the crown prince. He had entrusted all of his and his country's secrets to her when a tyrant king and his cronies, who'd wanted to take over the prince's country, had captured her. But, no matter what they did to her, she didn't betray her friend's trust. And when, at last, she could not take it anymore, she'd given them directions straight into an enchanted forest, fooling her stupid captors easily.  
  
That Tayli had returned from her ordeal almost dead, spirit broken and raving because of the continuous torture they'd put her through, but she had locked her friend's secret in her heart, and wouldn't let it go.  
  
No one knew precisely what happened to the old Tayli afterwards. Some said she was nursed back to health and became the crown prince's bride, some said she died afterwards, some even said she died before the war was over, and then there were those select few who were of the opinion that, no, she hadn't died and had never married, but became a wise woman and served her country her whole life.  
  
And this was the woman that Tayli had been named after, and, so far, she'd lived up to the expectations and did indeed have a soul of power.  
  
Tayli remembered her initiation well. She'd just completed her mission, protecting a huge transfer of gold for workmen's wages, and had come home triumphantly, to be welcomed by all.  
  
That night, she'd gone into a purifying sweat-lodge, dressed in completely new clothes, and then she'd had to separate herself from her peers for 4 hours, fasting, and thinking on her choice. Every hour, a different one of her masters would come in, and ask, in a solemn voice,  
  
"Tayli, Kanai el' kumme, nai el' Kiin, sel du vid lesa?" (Tayli, Soul of power, child of the Kiin, do you want this?)  
  
And each time she would answer, voice steady, "Ti, Kien, mi sen." (Yes, Master, I do.)  
  
The last of her masters to come was Menlan, and after her answer, he'd motioned for her to rise. Tayli had risen and then dropped into the most respectful bow the Kiin used, one she'd only ever practiced before (A/N: More on that later). Then she'd silently followed him into the woods, where the ritual clearing had been prepared. A huge bonfire crackled in the middle of it, and all the past graduates that had stayed, many that hadn't, and all her masters stood in a half circle around it, solemn faced. Only those who had already been initiated were allowed to the ceremony. A steady beat of drums had tapped out the ancient, strange rhythms of the Kiin. Tayli had stood before the bonfire, at the open part of the clearing. The drums had faded into the background as her four masters came up to her, Menlan holding a wrapped object flat across his palms. Then, again;  
  
"Tayli, Kanai el' kumme, nai el' Kiin, sel du vid lesa?" (Tayli, Soul of power, daughter of the Kiin, do you want this?) Her masters had chanted, the drum accompanying their words.  
  
"Ti, mi sen, mi saran Tayli el' Kiin!" (Yes, I do, I am Tayli of the Kiin!) She'd replied, loudly, steadily, utterly sure. An approving murmur had come from the spectators, instantly cut off as the Masters turned as one to address them over the crackling bonfire.  
  
"Nain el' Kiin, sel dul vila Tayli kel een el' dul?" (Children of the Kiin, do you accept Tayli as one of you?) And a great roar had gone up, a roar of approval, as they had all shouted, "Ti!" (Yes!). And the Masters had turned, still solemn, and Menlan had stepped forward, unwrapping the bundle he held in his hands. There was a complete silence as he, slowly, held out his left hand, balancing the sword in the other.  
  
Tayli, knowing the custom perfectly, had extended her right hand, palm up. Menlan had, delicately holding the sword, made a nick in her right palm, and then pressed the hilt of the sword into her hand, stopping the blood flow. Slowly, as if in a dream, Tayli had felt her sword, hers, for the first time, and she'd raised it above her head with both hands so that the perfect blade reflected the fire and caused a blaze of color. Then, in utter triumph, and strangely still in custom, she'd thrown back her head and shouted for all to hear,  
  
"Mi saran Tayli el' Kiin! Kanai el' kumme!" (I am Tayli of the Kiin! Soul of power!) A huge roar had gone up from the crowd in answer as they stomped their feet in time to the complicated drum-patterns, as the spectators took on a loud chant, the rough equivalent of a victory song (A/N: In modern times, think a college team's fight song). And, slowly, twirling her new blade in with the steps so that sword and woman joined in intricate movements, Tayli had danced to the drum beats, improvising, a pure dance that was all about power being released, proving herself. Her movements became more intricate as the tempo increased, and then, when the expectancy had raised to the breaking point, she'd raised her sword above her head with two hands and gave a huge, wordless victory cry, and all the Kiin's voices had joined hers, and then they had all begun to dance, stamping and moving and twirling to the ancient drumbeats. If any court-raised noble had seen them then, it would have seemed like the dance of savages.  
  
The dancing and chanting had gone on till morning, when they had all eaten a large ceremonial breakfast, and, of course, distributed presents. After all, what's a celebration without presents?  
  
Tayli thoughtfully stroked the scar on her right palm, remembering. But that wasn't all there was to the Kiin, oh no, there was much more.  
  
They had a series of hand signals, in case words could not be spoken, for things like stop, silence, attack, move, duck, etc.  
  
They had developed a series of bows as well: there was the most formal-the person went down on one knee, arms crossed on their chest, head bowed. This was only used towards Kings or other rulers, or during important ceremonies. It designated total trust because the person was at his most vulnerable. Then there was also an only slightly less formal bow, used for, say, a prince-the same posture was adopted, only the person bent at the waist instead of going down on one knee. There was the bow that Tayli used for her Masters-very respectful but at the same time les formal-the person bent at the waist and crossed their arms over their stomach, and then there was the bow amongst equals, the way a Master would bow to Tayli-bent at the waist with both hands on the sword hilt, or where it would be if they did not carry a sword. Each of these bows could become mocking or distrustful to a degree, depending on the amount of eye contact the bower made-this denoted wariness, and was, for example, a great offense to a King. Not that there were many Kings who realized this, but any other warriors would.  
  
And there were still a million other things, from a person's constantly bold and upright posture to the area that their hands rested while speaking that all made a difference.  
  
All of these signals and ways were universal-yes, that could have been the strangest thing about the Kiin-nothing differed amongst groups, they all used the same language, signals, and script to ensure the fullest cooperation possible. Of course, this deeper part of the Kiin was kept secret-no one but the warriors knew that there was any more than a fighting school, and it was assumed prudent that they not blab.  
  
Tayli sighed, remembering, and knew that she unconsciously used all of these signals, whether her counterparts understood them or not. Smiling softly, she got ready for a short nap before they'd be forced to move on.  
  
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A/N: Oh my gosh!!!!! That is by far the longest chapter I've ever written! YAY! I'm so proud of myself! Did anyone like the detailed description of the Kiin? I thought I'd give this story a little bit more depth, but god it was annoying to constantly translate! Thank you to all my reviewers and please review again!  
  
By the way: I'm thinking of making a website on this so I can show all my adoring fans Kiil, and how Tayli and co. dress, etc. More on that later!  
  
MAPLE ROSE: I know, I know, I should allow anonymous reviews, but my parents won't let me. Pooey. I know! I'm like a chapter machine now! LOL! And, with Tayli not hiding in the tree-I would make up an excuse, but to be completely honest, I needed something to make the story more interesting and couldn't resist!  
  
BLUE-LA-SHOO: * Throws confetti back at you * I'm back! Yeah, the move went ok. Thank you for reviewing my ever-faithful reviewer! Tell me if you liked this chappie or not-was I too detailed?  
  
WIND PRINCESS: Why aren't you updating? I wanna hear more about this Vidanric-who's-not-Vidanric dude! I absolutely loved writing this chapter! It was so much fun!  
  
DORKEEGIRL168: I promise, if I ever abandon this again you can throw-uh- tomatoes at me! And eggs! EUW!  
  
GOTHAMIN: Eek! Don't kill me, please! Guess what-I luff this story too! That makes two of us. Please, have mercy on me for not reviewing for so long! I'm sorry I'm sorry! * cries as Gothamin advances holding-uh-I dunno- some kind of weapon to implement torture* ;-D!  
  
DON'T ASK: Thanks! I like to think that I'm a pretty decent writer-at least I don't get mixed up between tenses! I hate it when people do that!  
  
AVIASTAR: No! Please please please review again! I hate losing reviewers! *pouts *  
  
SHAYLEY RAIN: *pretending to be upset * A little more wouldn't kill ya ya know! Come on, don't I deserve a little more than 3 words? JK Thank you for the review! Was this chapter as good?  
  
THANK YOU EVERYBODY! 


	16. Rafe

It ended up taking the group 3 days to reach Lubran, because now they had to take an uncooperative Joseph Monk with them, too. Tayli followed at her leisure-the knights made no more attacking moves and left her alone, for which she was grateful. The area changed again, from the steep hills it had been before, covered in wild forests, to huge, rolling mountains that seemed to stretch on forever. The trees thinned out and became smaller and stunted as they went up the mountains. In between lay lush valleys, almost always with their own river winding through them. Most of these valleys held good farmland, though some were as densely wooded as the rest of the area.  
  
Tayli was awestruck. She'd never seen mountains before, and these towering mounds of earth defied her every dream. They were solid, immovable chunks of rock, seemingly invincible against time. Tayli's mind reeled as she tried to imagine the force that must have pushed them out of the ground-she simply couldn't imagine anything that was remotely strong enough to do it. Every chance she got, she explored, discovering a world wholly different from the area near Bast that she knew so well. She was fascinated.  
  
When they finally rounded the mountainside that would take them to Lubran late in the afternoon of the third day, Tayli was once again speechless, not that it mattered, but she was. Lubran lay in a large valley between the peaks, covered in lush farmland. On the opposite end of the valley, a waterfall cascaded down between two mountains onto the lower ground, pooling at the bottom.  
  
These two mountains were as different as night and day. The one that, from Tayli's point of view, was to the left of the river was wooded, like the rest. But the one at the right was different. About halfway up the slope it was suddenly bare, the tree line ending without preamble. Then, slightly below the peak on the other side of the mountain, the trees began again, so that the mountain had a circular bare spot that wasn't perfectly on the top. The bare spot was riddled with caves-there must have been at least 15 prominent ones and uncountable small dents and fissures. The mountain was called Old Baldy.  
  
After cascading between these two mountains, the river-named the Syl-made a small curve into the valley, creating an almost round area between it and the concave side of the bare-topped mountain. Then, it changed course and threaded its way between Old Baldy and the mountain on the other side of it, disappearing into the rest of the mountain chain.  
  
The city of Lubran lay between the Syl and Old Baldy, squeezed into the relatively small area there, with 7 bridges branching out across the river, but the farms and outer reaches of Lubran lay peacefully stretched out in the Syl Valley, basking in the glorious sunshine. The crops waved in the light breeze and smoke from the kitchen fires curled lazily up into the sky, twisting itself into idle patterns as the wind batted it back and forth.  
  
The road they were on still had a little bit of descending to do before it became broad and tree-lined when it reached the Valley, and then led straight to the city. Many people were using it to get to and fro, their carriages and horses clearly visible as they moved around below.  
  
The company paused in awe, letting the beautiful scenery sink in, and then Terian let out a whoop and spurred his horse on down the mountain. His knights and Tayli followed, but when the prince wanted to canter once he was at the start of the road, Michael stopped him and winked, saying that they needed to look properly regal. And so the company went down the road at a sedate walk, and the citizens gaped at first, and then turned out to cheer, and some riders were seen racing towards the city to spread the news that the prince had come.  
  
Tayli stayed a slight distance behind, and rode on the other side of the trees that marched down the road, effectively making herself inconspicuous as she blended into the shade and became a mere shadow, that no one but William saw or paid any attention to.  
  
When they made to cross the main bridge, Tayli quickly dismounted and tied Moonflight to a tree, confident that no one would steal him. Then she followed at a light jog, blending into the crowd. As they crossed the bridge, the crowds turned out, cheering the prince and welcoming him. Tayli, surveying them, felt the old fear rise in her chest, making her stomach roll. (A/N: Yes, Tayli is very claustrophobic around crowds.) Casting around desperately for an escape, her eyes fell on the flat roofs of the houses, which were all at the same level, except for the local Lord's house. The normal houses were made out of clay mixed with straw for insulation, and then painted in varying colors, mostly pastel, but sometimes also bright blue, red, or green. She climbed a nearby tree and jumped from there onto the roof of the nearest house, and followed the procession that way.  
  
It was only when she had risen above her fear that Tayli noticed something strange. For one thing, there were no children out on the streets at all. Wherever she looked, she could not find a single child. Only adults and adolescents had turned out to cheer the prince. What was more, the cheering was not as totally elated as the cheers in Bast had been. There was a worried air to them, and at the same time, a strange relief and hope, as if the prince was a sort of savior from something. Tayli mulled it over, pondering the strangeness of it, and creeping across the roofs in order to be able to follow Terian and stay out of sight.  
  
When they reached the Duke's house, the crowd had thinned out, enabling Tayli to make her way to the ground again without endangering her sanity. When the Duke, flanked by his friends and advisors, came out, Tayli crept closer in order to pay attention.  
  
His name was Duke Bruno, and he ruled Lubran with a fair hand, as was to be seen by the people's reactions to him. The Duke was a huge man. He was tall and wide, slightly portly but not fat, muscular and seemingly getting on in years-his closely cropped brown beard and shaggy hair were streaked with gray. His eyes were blue and twinkled, and his face showed the handsomeness of youth that had become the regality of age. He had a booming laugh and was an informal, happy man.  
  
When Tayli cast her eyes on his escort, she recognized someone-or rather; she recognized his bright orange crop of hair first. The tall, wiry thin man in fine clothes was introduced to Terian as his chief advisor and friend, Ravernon Ster, but Tayli had known him for 6 years as Rafe, her fun loving but wise older-brother figure. She had been 8 when he, as a 12-year- old, had found her mouthing off to someone who'd apparently been stupid enough to imply that Menlan kept her in out of pity and that she was useless. At first, Rafe had watched, enjoying the show, but when the other, much older boy had started to get properly mad, he'd intervened and whisked Tayli off to the courtyard, where they'd laid the first stones of their friendship.  
  
She looked up to him, and he'd protected her when needed and advised her, and together they'd pulled all sorts of pranks on the rest of the school. He'd been her one true friend, but Rafe had left when he was 18 and she was 14, and she'd only heard from him a few times since-letter-writing was neither of their strong points. But, buried deep down inside, had been the knowledge that she missed him terribly. Now she grinned like a fool at Christmas behind her veil and decided that, no matter what, she had to talk to him. Then maybe she could ask about the absence of children, too.  
  
Tayli only paid a little attention to Duke Bruno's wife-who was pretty but quiet-and children. She did notice that he had 2 daughters and a son, the eldest daughter being about Terian's age, one daughter in between, and the son about ten. She could already see that the eldest daughter was casting shy glances at Terian, who pretended to ignore her for the time being.  
  
Slipping slightly ahead of the party, she hid in a narrow space between the Duke's house and the walls around it, and waited until they passed her. When they did, she waited until she could have taken a step, reached out, and touched the orange hair before hissing,  
  
"Rafe!" and making the hand signal for safety at the same time, knowing that he'd have trouble differentiating her from her shadowy surroundings, but would trust the Kiin's universal signals.  
  
His head whipped around, and when he saw her signal, he glanced around him before slipping into the area between the walls too, and they backed up enough so that they were well hidden.  
  
He was looking at her slightly suspiciously, and she looked into the same trusted features that had changed so little, and then lowered her hood.  
  
He gasped, shock written all over his face. "Tayli?" he half-whispered.  
  
She nodded, and smiled, and then found herself caught in a suffocating grip as he embraced her, laughing. She squeezed him back, and when he set her down, she was still smiling.  
  
"So you're Ravernon now, are you?" she asked, teasing, and he grinned back.  
  
"I couldn't exactly come here and tell a Duke that my name was Rafe, now could I?"  
  
"I don't see why not," she said, shrugging, and he sighed dramatically. "So, did you miss me?"  
  
"Of course I missed you, Li!"  
  
She grinned at his old nickname for her before answering. "You barely wrote."  
  
"I was busy!" he defended himself; grinning at the exchange of 'pleasantries' they were going through.  
  
"Sure. So," Tayli said, casually leaning against a wall as he leaned against the other, "What have you been up to?"  
  
"Oh, you know, the usual: training, fighting, helping the Duke, getting betrothed."  
  
"You're betrothed?" Tayli repeated, shocked.  
  
He smiled at her proudly. "Yup."  
  
Tayli squealed-which was very unlike her-and threw her arms around him again as he gasped for breath. "How come you didn't tell me? Congratulations! What's she like? Can I meet her? What's her name? Does she call you Ravernon?" Laughing, Rafe disentangled himself.  
  
"I was going to tell you. She's very nice, and I love her, and yes, you can meet her. Her name's Melanie, and she's the only one who calls me Rafe here."  
  
Tayli found herself grinning like two fools at Christmas this time. Rafe was betrothed! Wow. She was more exited than she'd been in forever-she couldn't remember the last time she'd been this giddy. It was probably since during her initiation.  
  
"So what are you doing here, and dressed like a shadow, too?" Rafe asked, and she stopped grinning like two fools, just smiling slightly, and told him about her mission.  
  
"Wow," he teased, "Tayli's all grown up now."  
  
She grinned. "I could say the same about you. Listen, Rafe, I noticed something weird today-why aren't there any kids around?"  
  
He shook his head and sighed. "You notice too much. All the kids that are left have been staying inside their houses constantly, they're not allowed out anymore because there's been hundreds of kidnappings of children over the last 6 months or so. They're all just suddenly . . . gone."  
  
Tayli absorbed this information slowly, and then nodded. "Listen, Rafe, I'll see you later, alright? They'll be looking for you, and I've got to keep up with the prince. I'll find a way to talk to you."  
  
He nodded before saying goodbye and silently walking down the passage. Tayli waited a minute before following, resettling her hood as she went. She was just looking around to see if it was safe to come out when someone stepped before her, blocking the light, and placed a hand on her shoulder.  
  
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A/N: Dum dum dum. Cliffy! Review please!  
  
SHAYLEY RAIN: Yeah, thanks. I'm going to add more depth to my characters as I go along. 33 words! Yay!  
  
LONIGIRL: Please review again! I'm glad you like it!  
  
BLUE-LA-SHOO: Yes! I thought it up all by myself! I love kudos! Thank you! I'm a top-chapter-churner now! And the story is only going to get better. Well, while Tayli gets to know William he'll become more interesting.  
  
MAPLEROSE: Yeah, a website would be great . . . Well, you can't really be born into the Kiin because there are no women ('cept for Tayli). Usually they pick up orphans or unwanted kids, and sometimes kids with great potential are 'scouted out' amongst families and are given the choice. And some just find out about the school and try to get in. 


	17. zhalpH

A/N: The description of the gnome here is taken almost directly from Ella Enchanted.  
  
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Tayli tensed, one hand taking hold of her sword hilt, and then froze. She knew she should probably be a little afraid, but somehow, the hand on her shoulder conveyed warmth and reassurance-but she wasn't going to let that fool her.  
  
"You need not be afraid of me, Tayli," a voice said, and it was deep with the wisdom of countless years.  
  
"Who are you?" she asked brazenly, for the person-whoever it was-was still blocking the light.  
  
"My name is zhalpH," came the answer, and, finally, the person stepped back, drawing Tayli into the light also, so that she could finally see them.  
  
It was a female gnome, and she was older than anyone Tayli had ever seen. She was a little shorter than Tayli, but very wide, and every inch of her skin was wrinkled, the larger wrinkles having even more wrinkles. Tayli looked into her eyes, and they were copper colored and unbelievably wise.  
  
"I am the one that brought you to your masters," zhalpH said. Tayli remembered that Menlan had told her vaguely that a gnome had brought her to the school, but he hadn't said anything more about it.  
  
"Oh," was Tayli's rejoinder, and then she remembered her manners, and bowed, arms crossed on her chest and eyes on the ground (A/N: Kudos to anyone who can tell me which bow this is!).  
  
"I have come to give a warning," zhalpH continued, after nodding approvingly at Tayli's show of respect. "I know that your masters advised against talking to the Prince, but you must make yourself known to him. This is important, and needs to be done as soon as possible. He must trust you if you are to save his life, and he must feel the need to save yours. Swear to me, upon your Master's honor, that you will seek out the Prince today, for there is a great danger coming."  
  
An oath upon a Master's honor was the highest oath of the Kiin, and guaranteed a lifetime of disdain if broken, for it was not the oath-taker's honor at stake, but that of his Master, and it was a great dishonor and insult to him if the oath was broken.  
  
Tayli had taken all that into consideration within the space of a second, before answering firmly, "I swear upon my Master's honor that I will do all that is possible to make myself known to the Prince today." She felt like she was sealing her own fate-it was not a nice feeling.  
  
ZhalpH smiled, and then simply walked away. Tayli glanced around to make sure that no one had seen their exchange, and then backed into the shadows again.  
  
She needed to talk to Rafe. He could make sure that she got into Lord Bruno's house without being seen, and that she found the prince's chambers. But how would she find him again? Tayli looked at the sky, trying to judge how much time she had left before sundown. It was precious little. She wouldn't be able to speak to Ralf directly-she'd have to write a note, but her materials were still back with Moonflight. Well, there was nothing else to do but go and get them. Keeping to the shadows and hugging the walls of Lubran, Tayli found that, at her pace, it took very little time to make her way out of the city-Lubran was fairly small, and Lord Bruno's house was in the middle.  
  
After reassuring Moonflight, she dug out her writing supplies-they were in a compact, portable case that she'd gotten for her 18th birthday. The case held two small quill pens, 10 or so half-sized sheets of paper, a bottle of ink, a small bottle of glue (instead of wax, for which you needed a candle and a seal), and a trimming knife. Propping her back up against a tree, she balanced the case on her knees and wrote hastily, 'Rafe-ranke mis na solan. -Tayli' ('Rafe-meet me after sundown. -Tayli'). The scrawling, beautiful Kiil letters were an extra safeguard. She blew on the ink to dry it, then folded the note twice, sealed it, and wrote on the front, 'Ravernon Ster'. He'd know to meet her where they'd last talked-they had passed notes that way for years. Unless there was a specific detail of where to meet, they met in the place that they'd last seen each other.  
  
Then, glancing up at the sky again, she put her writing kit away, patted Moonflight on the head, and sped off towards Lubran.  
  
Once in sight of the Lord's house, she slowed to a walk, and brushed the veil away from her face, though she stayed mostly hidden in the large, shadowy hood. Walking up to one of the guards that stood around the wall, she held the note out in front of her in case they decided that she looked a little too threatening. She gave the stony-faced guard the piece of paper. He looked down at it, then back up at her.  
  
"I will bring it to him," the guard intoned.  
  
"Now," Tayli said forcefully. The guard just nodded, shouldered his lance, and walked off.  
  
^^^^^^^^^^  
  
Rafe was talking to Lord Bruno. They were waiting for Prince Terian and his knights, about to go into dinner. Bruno's wife and children stood a little ways away, fidgeting. He was just explaining exactly why they shouldn't give up hope to find the lost children, when someone politely tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around just as Terian and his entourage came down the staircase to greet them. Rafe looked behind him and saw one of Bruno's guards holding out a note to him, while staring at the Prince. Smiling, Rafe accepted the note and sent the guard on his way. Turning to Terian, he gave him an absent bow, and just managed to keep his arms from crossing on his chest. * This isn't the Kiin *, he reminded himself. Then, stepping away politely, he turned back to the note.  
  
It had 'Ravernon Ster' scrawled on the front. The handwriting looked familiar . . . He dismissed it. Unsheathing the small dagger that hung by his side-a sword was overdoing it for dinner-he slit the sealing deftly. For a split second, he looked at the note in his hands uncomprehendingly, but then his mind started working again. He'd expected to find something written in Kyrrian, definitely not in Kiil! When he'd read the short note, he frowned. There must have been an urgent piece of news, for Tayli to be writing to him so openly. Folding it, he put it in his tunic pocket, resolving to go after dinner, and glanced up just in time to see a small, lithe maiden come bustling down the corridor. She smiled brilliantly at him, and he grinned back, heart rate quickening.  
  
"Lady Melanie . . . " he said, bowing with a teasing smile. "Would you care to join me for dinner?"  
  
She batted her eyelashes outrageously at him, simpering falsely. "Of course, my Lord! It would be such an honor." Then they both burst out laughing. He slid his arm around her waist protectively, almost possessively, and they went through the grand double doors and into dinner.  
  
^^^^^^^^^  
  
Tayli peeked out around the wall again, starting to worry. Had he not gotten her note? It had been a while since the sun went down. Biting her bottom lip, she drew back into the shadows. She couldn't wait much longer. Suddenly she stiffened. There was a silent moment, and then she heard it again-a soft thump as someone set their foot down, and an even softer rustling of clothes as they walked. Silently going to look out again, she saw Rafe's familiar form sneaking its way over to her, keeping to the shadows to avoid being noticed. Drawing back once more, she waited, cloak, hood, and veil concealing her well. She'd decided on wearing the veil anyway, for reasons she wasn't sure of.  
  
A few minutes later, Rafe's breathing indicated that he'd joined her in the space between the walls. This was a meeting for business-their positions were tense, senses on the alert, and they wasted no time with frivolities. He nodded to her to indicate that he knew she was there, but it was only his training which allowed him to see her, that and knowing that she was there, because Tayli's cloak and hiding skills were superb.  
  
She stepped closer to him, whispering.  
  
"Rafe. Take me to Terian and the knights' quarters."  
  
"Public or servants' passages?" he hissed back. He'd taken the liberty of memorizing all of the latter almost as soon as he got here-you never knew.  
  
"Servants, dolt." Rafe nodded silently, and then stole out of the space, flattening himself against the wall and moving as silently as he could, Tayli behind him. She memorized exactly where they were going as Rafe let her through a small door in the wall and into a neat and clean stone passageway, well lit with torches. Together, they minimized the sound of their footsteps, stealing through the passages unnoticed. Second hall on the right, Tayli thought, then immediately left, right again, walk for a bit, then the short passage to the left, second door to the left. Rafe opened this door silently-the hinges had been recently oiled. They stepped through, and Tayli found herself squeezed behind Rafe in about 2 more feet of passageway as he looked through a small hole in what appeared to be a tapestry, and then pushed the last obstacle away and stepped through.  
  
It was indeed a tapestry, one of-predictably-a knight in shining armor charging forth on his steed, a pretty maiden seated in front of him and looking up at him adoringly. Tayli turned away from it in disgust. The rest of the brightly lit hallway was as lavishly done, with high ceilings, tapestries and rugs, ornate furniture, and heavily decorated wooden doors, mostly double, spaced out along the walls. She didn't give herself time to think on the-to her-unparalleled luxury of the hall.  
  
"This is the Residential Wing," Rafe hissed at her. "These rooms are all suites-they're in clusters. This one-" he gestured to a door across the hall, a little to their left, "-is where the prince and his knights are staying. They're all in there right now." Tayli nodded, and wasn't surprised when she turned around to see that Rafe had gone already. It was typical of him. Moving forward across the lush rug, booted feat silent and one hand checking her daggers and sword, Tayli took a deep breath. At the last minute she pushed her veil away, hiding her face in the shadows of her cloak, and resettled the garment in question around her shoulders to hide her arsenal of weapons. Then she raised her gloved fist, and knocked.  
  
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A/N: Very evil cliffy. I love cliffies! Yay! 


	18. Meeting

"Come in," a voice boomed from inside the chamber. Taking a deep breath, Tayli put her hand on the doorknob, twisted, and swung the door open.  
  
If she'd thought the hall was luxurious, she'd been gravely mistaken. This room was, so far, the most expensively furnished thing she'd ever seen. It was a large room, with 12 doors leading off of it, into, presumably, bedrooms. The walls were dark wood paneling, intricately decorated and gilded in places. Spaced out along the walls and hanging from the high ceiling were large gilded candleholders that held 10 candles each, all lit. The floor was covered in a plush, dark red carpet.  
  
On the opposite side of the room there was a long window-seat with glass on all sides of it, so that whoever sat there had a 180-degree view of whatever was outside. The window-seat was covered in a dark red fabric, which looked like velvet, edged in gold. It had pillows scattered around it, and curtains on either side, so that a person could be completely secluded if they wished. The curtains, too, were made of dark red fabric decorated with gold. On either side of the window-seat there were two large desks, made of a dark wood that matched the walls, equipped with all the materials that could possibly be needed. Above each desk there was a bookshelf, filled with books, which Tayli could only guess at.  
  
There was a long, ornate table that stood, ready for use, in front of the window-seat, but the room was so large that it could never look crowded. The chairs around it were carved also, and upholstered in, of course, dark red. The door that Tayli was standing in was, from her point of view, at the far right of the room, and to the left of the door was a large stone fireplace, carved with intricate designs. In front of this were several large sofas and chairs, each a dark red with golden edgings. A dark wood and glass coffee table was also there. And, with this, were all the usual things that accompanied a room, all the usual knickknacks and decorations, only made impossibly luxurious. The chess-set that stood in an open cabinet on the left side of the room, for example, was made of minutely carved ivory, with the details gilded on.  
  
The knights were scattered all over the room, some sprawled in the sofas, some standing, one at a desk, and some sitting at the table. All talk and movement ceased as they caught sight of their visitor, and Tayli swore she heard someone murmur, 'Speak of the devil . . .' It was quite funny, actually. Terian was sitting in the sofa, mouth agape and staring; all of them looked shocked, half looked aggressive, some looked confused, others looked relieved, some even looked a little scared-which was definitely how Tayli felt. She held her hand on her sword hilt as a silent warning.  
  
In the next moment, all the knights had their hands on their swords, and Michael had drawn his and was walking towards her.  
  
"Who are you?" he growled, "And what do you want? Show yourself!" At the barked order, Tayli slowly raised her hands up to her hood and saw the knights all hold their breath, almost apprehensively. Slowly, ever so slowly, she took the folds of her hood in her hands and drew it back, away from her face, to fall back so that the light could illuminate her features.  
  
"My name," she said, "is Tayli." And, as she watched their reactions, she had to stifle a laugh, and couldn't help letting a small smile escape. They were all blatantly staring at her. She knew that they'd expected a man, and were shocked, but she hadn't thought they'd have reactions this obvious. What she didn't know was that it was not only the fact that she was a woman, but also her beauty that stunned the men.  
  
For a minute, no one spoke. Some of the knights moved their jaws as if trying to form words, but no sound was heard. Then Michael came out with,  
  
"It was you . . . all along? You did all that?"  
  
"Of course," she replied, extricating her ponytail of raven locks out of her hood and letting them fall down her back.  
  
Sir Jonathan scoffed. "I don't believe you. A lass couldn't do any of that." He said lass as if it was a direct insult to Tayli, and she understood that he was making a slur on her sexuality based upon how she was dressed. She stood defiant and proud, however.  
  
"Care to try me?" That was a direct challenge, and Sir Jon could not honorably refuse now, not that he was in any doubt that he would win. Tayli knew that he was not one of the best swordfighters-Michael would have picked the two best to verse her a few days ago, and he had not been among them. She could have taken on their best fighters alone fairly easily, and Sir Jon could not be any harder.  
  
"Very well," he said disdainfully. "First person to draw blood wins." Tayli just nodded silently. The whole room was silent, and she knew that this was a test. It was without preamble, true, and they still did not know what she was there for, but it was a test all the same. Sir Jon moved to an open area, Tayli followed, and they squared off there. Tayli had drawn her sword, and caught some of the men looking at it admiringly-she couldn't blame them. They bowed to each other; Tayli using the Kiin bow amongst equals, both hands on the hilt of her sword, but she looked Sir Jon in the eye, making the bow mocking-although he had no way of knowing it. It was Tayli's secret victory (Tayli didn't have a very high opinion of knights in general, really. It was an old saying amongst the Kiin-and, sadly, true- that if you wanted to become the best, you went to the Kiin; if you wanted to get the credit and the status that belonged to the best, you became a knight). Then they both stood tall, and began to fight.  
  
It was surprisingly easy, even for Tayli. She didn't even work up a sweat. After the first few ringing blows from Sir Jon, easily blocked, she swung, got blocked, feinted, swung and was blocked again, feinted, and then swiftly nicked his shoulder in quick succession. The poor man didn't know what hit him.  
  
Tayli stepped back, breathing lightly, looking at the knight, who was panting, and looking from his shoulder to her and then back. Tayli raised Kanai el' kumme for a minute, showing everyone the bit of blood at the tip and acknowledging her victory, surreptitiously wiped it on the carpet and then sheathed it and bowed to Sir Jon, the same bow, but changed in meaning, her eyes now trained somewhere around his knees. (A/N: Double kudos to anyone who can tell me how it's changed!)  
  
By this time, Garram had stepped forward and was administering to a shocked Sir Jon, and Tayli turned back to Michael, who seemed the only one who'd regained his senses. Tayli bowed again to him, and knew that Michael saw that it was a different bow-the bow of a student to a master, which she used out of respect for his position and experience. He did not understand the difference, of course, but he saw it all the same.  
  
"I am Tayli," she said, wondered if she should add 'of Bast', but decided against it, since it wasn't completely true. "I have been following your party since Bast, protecting you, and now present myself to continue doing so, but not hidden." She left out the part about the gnome's warning-that was for her to know, and no one else.  
  
Michael absorbed this information, and then countered, "But then there was the experience with the thief, during which you fought us."  
  
"Ah, yes," Tayli said, smiling grimly, "but whereas I am still suffering from the consequences of that fight, you might have noticed that none of your knights have anything more serious than shredded clothes." Michael nodded pensively, and then waved her back a pace or two. His knights and Terian came and stood around him, and they held a hushed conference, to which Tayli politely didn't listen, though she could have if she wanted to. After a minute or two, they straightened up, and Tayli noticed that not a single sword was drawn-a good sign. Michael came up to her, smiling.  
  
"Well, then, Tayli who is not quite of Bast-" if he saw the surprise on her face he did not show it, "-we welcome you to our group. We are-"  
  
Here Tayli interrupted, smiling. "Sirs Michael, Bertram, Jonathan, Natal, Luke, Frenery, William, Garram, Zachary, and Jerrold. I know. And," she added as an afterthought, "Prince Terian." She bowed to him, and knew that Sir Michael noticed that it was another different bow.  
  
"Come," he said, "take off your cloak and come sit down. Tell us about yourself." * Ha, * Tayli thought privately, * but you'll get precious little out of me about that. * But she complied; grateful that being accepted had gone so smoothly, even though she knew that some would still harbor grudges. She didn't turn her back on the group, who were all sitting on the sofas, for a moment as she removed her cloak and laid it on the long table, the dull black cloth contrasting sharply with the brightly shining wood. She saw their surprised and, once again, apprehensive expressions as they saw the 3 daggers she always carried. She chuckled softly and took her shoulder belt off also, secure in the knowledge that she had another dagger in her boot.  
  
"For throwing," she explained, referring to the daggers that now lay gleaming on top of her cloak. Then, looking around, she took a seat where she could see all of the knights and Terian. Her underlying warrior's instinct had assessed the room the minute she set foot it in, labeling everything that could be a potential danger and marking the exits. She saw some of the knights looking at her clothing and couldn't blame them-it wasn't every day that you saw a woman dressed in man's clothes.  
  
"Who was your swords-master?" Frenery asked. That, at least, she could tell them.  
  
"I trained with Master Jaedon until I received the orders to follow your party."  
  
"Jaedon! It is no wonder you are so good then. I take it that you were his best pupil?"  
  
"I was," she answered truthfully, proudly. "So far I have been his only match."  
  
Frenery whistled, impressed. "I met him once. He is the most amazing swordsman I have ever seen."  
  
"Yes," was her simple answer.  
  
"So why are you following us?" Bertram asked, still slightly suspicious.  
  
Tayli put on a closed expression. "I was under orders."  
  
Suddenly Terian spoke up. "Thank you for saving me, those three times." She looked him in the eye and smiled.  
  
"You're welcome, Your Highness."  
  
He blushed a little. "Don't call me that. I'm Terian."  
  
Tayli was taken aback. That was downright disrespectful! A Kiin was always respectful. "Of course not," she answered. "You are the Prince, to be addressed as such." Terian looked at her, amazed, and Tayli caught several of the knights hiding grins or having sudden coughing fits.  
  
"All right then," Terian shot back, mildly aggravated, "then I command you, as your Prince, to tell me why you're dressed like a man." Several of the knights gasped at his rudeness, and Michael made to rise, but Tayli was up before him, stretching languidly.  
  
"Because, oh Prince," she answered a little sarcastically, "it's just a little bit harder to fight in a corset, 3 petticoats, and a skirt with flounces." Terian flushed and most of the knights grinned. "Although," Tayli mused as an afterthought, "it just might provide extra protection for the legs. I'll have to look into that." Now most of the knights were laughing, and Terian was smiling through his blush.  
  
Walking over to the table, Tayli whisked her cloak back around her shoulders, pulling the hood and veil up, and buckled her daggers back on.  
  
"I have to go get my horse. Where can I stable him?" Sir Zachary explained, and then, shyly, asked if he might have a look at it later. Tayli agreed, and then left, leaving 11 very flustered men behind her. 


	19. Getting Aquainted

A/N: Sorry it took so long, my life has gone completely hectic plus the Internet has been down for a long time. I changed 'Lord Bruno' to 'Duke Bruno'; after my little bro pointed out that 'Lord' or 'milord' was something you called someone, and not a title.  
  
$$$$$$$$$$$$  
  
William was dazed. A woman! It was a woman who had followed them all that way; showed him the cave; killed the man; saved the prince . . . It was unbelievable. Women didn't do things like that. Women wore dresses, and danced, and embroidered, and curtsied, giggled and blushed horrendously, and were polite to the prince. This woman, on the other hand, wore breaches and a tunic, didn't dance-she was graceful, true, but in a lithe, muscular way-, looked like she would rather stab herself repeatedly with the needle than use it to embroider with, bowed, kept a blank face, and told the prince off quite easily. William felt like his world had been turned on its head-never before had there been a situation like this. And still, despite the oddity of it, he found himself ready to accept Tayli into the group, accept her fighting skill, and carry on normally. So what if there had never been a female fighter before-you could always try new things. Besides, it was quite funny how she had beaten Sir Jonathan that easily.  
  
All of the knights were completely dazed, except for Sir Michael, who looked as unfazed as if he'd just had a talk with a squire or page. He was bustling around, pouring wine for everyone to help them get over the shock.  
  
When he'd taken a good gulp of his, Sir Luke managed to come out with the intelligent remark,  
  
"A woman!"  
  
"No," Michael corrected mildly, "A Tayli. There's a difference." Luke looked at him blankly.  
  
"Never mind," Michael sighed, "You'll understand later on."  
  
"I think I understand now," William said slowly. "True, a woman is a woman, but part of our view of womankind is how they act-and she acts completely different."  
  
Michael saluted William silently with his wineglass before taking a meditative sip. "Does anyone feel very strongly that we shouldn't accept her?" William pondered this a bit before shaking his head decisively. He saw that others thought longer and that some shook their heads with some reluctance, including Sir Jon.  
  
Michael turned to Terian, who had sat staring into his wine since it had been given to him. "Prince Terian? What do you think?"  
  
Terian looked up, surprised. "I have a say in this?" William chuckled softly, as did many of the other men.  
  
"She's protecting you," Michael said gravely before breaking into a smile.  
  
"Then by all means, let her do so," the youth replied, before adding as an afterthought, "She's beautiful." Some of the men had distant expressions on their faces and William was shocked to hear himself think, * Yes, beautiful. And graceful, too. Absolutely gorgeous . . . * He chased the thoughts from his mind angrily. He was supposed to be working with this woman, not courting her! From the way Sir Luke and a few of the other knights were looking, William could tell, with a sense of foreboding, that they were thinking along the same lines as he had been, and that they didn't have the same inhibitions as he did. If they could get over the fact that she wasn't a conventional woman, there would be some serious flirting and probably lusting going on. And that was never a good thing, leading to jealousy, anger, and whatnot. Though it would be funny to watch them at it; William was already fairly sure that this woman could not or would not be seduced.  
  
When Michael cleared his throat they all snapped out of their daydreams sheepishly. The eldest knight looked grim. "Let it be understood that we aren't here for a bit of let's-play-that-we're-at-court. Tayli will be your comrade; she will be equal to one of us if not better. You are to get to know her, but flirting is out of the question! I don't have time to deal with any of the side effects. A warrior stays a warrior, and if there is one thing I know for sure, it is that flirting with her just might be the thing to drive Tayli off. And, considering she's had to save the Prince 3 time for us already, it looks like she's more capable than we are. So let's not change that, men!"  
  
A few of the knights looked abashed, a few were scandalized that Michael would think that they were going to flirt, some looked irritated or even angry, and Terian, being younger, was blushing. William wasn't sure what to think, except that he was relieved that Michael had apparently squashed the problem before it appeared.  
  
The older knight broke into a smile and then laughed long and hard at his men's reactions, wiping the tears from his eyes. His laugh was infectious, and soon even the least inclined were smiling reluctantly. The discussions went on until Tayli came back about half an hour later.  
  
^^^^^^^^^  
  
Tayli stepped into the room, carrying her saddlebags, after seeing to Moonflight (and warning the stable hands), and observed that they must have been talking about her, as the conversation had suddenly ended. She shook her hood off of her shoulders but didn't take her cloak off because of a slight suspicion that the knights would enjoy looking at her-more specifically, at her breaches. She took her gloves off, however-after all, it was only polite-revealing hands that would have been the epitome of beauty had they not been tanned and calloused, with nails that were cut neatly short. She smiled inwardly as she realized that her hands had come as another shock to some of the knights, and mentally rolled her eyes. Still keeping up a stoic front, she gestured lazily around the room.  
  
"So . . ." she half-drawled, "Twelve doors, eleven of you. Must be room for me then." She was vaguely aware that she was talking abnormally much considering that they were still strangers to her, but then reasoned that her usual aggressive front wouldn't sit too well, and besides, they probably wouldn't be able to interpret her intentions without words anyway.  
  
"Yes," Michael answered just as casually, "there's quiet enough. This is the one left over-I'm afraid it's a little less luxurious than the others, someone will swap with you if you like." Tayli made a mental note to question Michael about how he was so comfortable with her-he was the oldest after all, and should be the most set in his traditions-, and then thanked him and followed the oldest knight to the door on the far right, wondering how bad the room could be.  
  
When he opened the door and ushered her in, her eyes almost popped out of her head. The room was beautiful, of an amount of luxury as the central room between all of the chambers. The theme was green, varying from dark to light shades of green, with the same style of dark furniture, though she noticed with relief that it wasn't as richly decorated, but it was still beautiful. There was another door, which, presumably, led to a bathroom in the opposite wall. To the right of her there was an absolutely enormous canopy bed, also with green covers and curtains. Further, the room contained a desk, mirror, a window with a window seat, and two green couches with a small table. Never in her life had she dreamed-or wanted to dream-of living in such luxury. Her mind boggled, while a small, almost subconscious part scoffed at how soft people who lived like this must become. She turned to Michael, who was watching her with slight amusement.  
  
"You said this was the least luxurious room?"  
  
"And this isn't even all of it," he replied seriously. Tayli, almost apprehensively, opened the other door. And should have expected what she found-the most luxurious bathroom she'd ever seen, gleaming silver and light green, with a dressing room to the side. She gaped for a minute, then quickly closed the door, unsure how to feel-she'd never been in, or wanted, such luxury. Actually, she would have much rather had her cot in her small room at the school, with the small chest of drawers and spindly table, and a shared bathroom with Anna, the old housekeeper. Dismissing the memories from her mind, she unceremoniously dumped her saddlebags on the lushly carpeted floor in the middle of the room, and turned to Michael expectantly.  
  
"Where are the other ways out hidden?"  
  
He stared at her. "What?"  
  
Patiently, she replied, "The way to get out other than the door. Where is it?"  
  
He looked at her strangely for a moment, and then started laughing. Tayli frowned slightly; irritated that he wouldn't answer her simple question.  
  
"There are none," he finally said, and this time it was Tayli's turn to let out an astonished,  
  
"What?"  
  
"There are no other ways out. The room was built for luxury, not safety."  
  
"There has to be." And, with that, Tayli started running her hands over the walls, lifting up tapestries and generally inspecting the whole area while Michael just watched her, amused. Privately, she was astonished. In every other room she'd been in during her life, there had always been another, usually secret way out to ensure safety. For a place to have one door was out of the question. As a result, the school was riddled with secret passages, which Tayli and Rafe had made good use of as they played pranks on the whole school. She was convinced that the room must have had some sort of way out, if only for the servants to come and go unnoticed.  
  
And it wasn't long before she found it. Lifting a magnificent tapestry depicting a hunt off of the wall, Tayli found a slightly less decorated panel of wood and pushed lightly on it-and, sure enough, it opened inward to reveal one of the clean, well-lit passages that the servants used. * I'll have to get Rafe to show me around these, * she thought, and then let the door swing shut as she stepped out from the tapestry. It was an ingenious system, she'd noticed-the wall was padded so that the door didn't make a lot of noise, and the door-panel itself was weighted on one side so that it always swung shut if left open. Smiling triumphantly, she stepped out from behind the tapestry to notice that everyone had congregated in her room, curious. She let her smile fade as she shook loose strands of hair out of her face, and, looking to Michael, bowed, only slightly mocking, and made a grand gesture towards the tapestry, inviting him seriously to take a look for himself.  
  
Shaking his head incredulously, he did, and, sure enough, found the passage for himself. Laughing at her stubbornness, he clapped the smiling Tayli on the back, congratulated her, and then shooed them all out of the room. Tayli looked around the room once more, considering it, and then removed her cloak, draping it over the chair at the desk, and her daggers, which she placed over the cloak.  
  
Then she tentatively went over to the bed and sat on the edge, and was shocked at the dent she made in the mattress. It was so soft! She'd never be able to fall asleep on something so soft that she sank into it. For 18 years, Tayli had been used to a mattress that was comfortable enough at first, somewhere between hard and slightly soft. But, once you got used to it-and Tayli had never been used to anything else, besides the ground-, it got more and more comfortable. As a result, she saw this mattress as completely appalling. There was no doubt about it-she'd sleep on the floor tonight. As it was, the floor was so highly carpeted that it would probably be soft enough on its own. * And muffle any footsteps, * the fighter's part of her automatically warned. She nodded, took a last glance around, and then exited the-now her- room, closing the door softly behind her. In the common area, she saw that only Sir William was left, sitting at one of the desks and writing a letter, his quill dipping in the ink and then scratching on the parchment methodically. Dip, scratch, dip, scratch, dip, scratch . . . He signed his name, flourishing the pen and then looked up at her, smiling, a kind, if slightly hesitant, smile.  
  
"We've been asked to spend the evening with Duke Bruno. Maybe you'd like to get ready?"  
  
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A/N: Again, sorry it took so long, nothing has been working out right when it comes to technology or time lately. I won't be able to answer reviews either right now, but know that I appreciate all of your reviews greatly. I have to start thinking about what I'm going to write again, so it might not go as quickly as planned. I named Duke Bruno after my brother, so thanks to him for letting me (I think if I'd named anything other than a Duke after him he would have been furious-he's also the one who pointed out the title issue). 


	20. An Exchange

Tayli nodded silently and started to go back into her room, when she heard William stand up behind her and take a step forward. She paused with her hand on the doorknob and turned to look at the young knight, who stood shifting his weight from foot to foot, looking slightly uncomfortable.  
  
He finally came out with, "Ah . . .welcome to the group. I just wanted to say that you fight really well, and, um . . .thank you for saving the Prince. I hope we can be friends." He blurted the last sentence out, and his cheeks tinged slightly pink as he realized how stupid he must have sounded. But Tayli was grateful for the offer and appreciated the thanks, and so she smiled, and turned back to her room.  
  
She headed straight to the bathroom, washed her face and hands and combed her hair before tying it up again, musing all the while. She'd seen how open the knights were with each other and felt nervous. She wasn't used to talking without holding back to anyone that she hadn't known for a long time, and felt intimidated at how easily the knights conversed amongst themselves. Tayli was not naturally trusting, and knew that she wouldn't be able to summon up the ability to act completely like they did. For one thing, she was a different person and had a different purpose. They were companions to the Prince as well as protectors, she was not. The most natural way for her to conduct herself her whole life had been fiercely independent and antisocial, but she well understood that she could not act that way here. Even letting a select few through to her wasn't acceptable. She would have to gain the trust of all-and that meant making them all her 'friends'. Tayli shuddered slightly, whether from the last thought or from the cold water she'd just splashed on her face she didn't know. By the time she was exiting the bathroom, she had decided that she'd have to settle for somewhere in the middle-she would be reserved (very, if she had a choice), but still try not to cultivate the idea that she was someone who tolerated no one and snapped at everyone who tried to approach her.  
  
Tayli strolled out of her room, swirling her cloak around her shoulders as she went. The black fabric rustled softly as it whirled through the air and then settled around her shoulders, flowing around her body as if it possessed her, a cloak that would fit none but her. In reality, it was just a long piece of dark fabric, but the graceful way it moved when she walked and the manner in which it fit as if made for her made it seem like more. She clasped it loosely at the high neck, so that it swung open a little. Tayli had tactfully left her daggers in her room, hidden under the mattress, her saddlebags stashed in the shadows under the bed. Kanai el' kumme, however, hung by her side as ever.  
  
---Sometimes Tayli could have sworn that her sword had a soul. Kanai was beautiful, an expertly constructed piece of art as well as a deadly blade. She often mused aloud while cleaning or whetting it-the rhythmic strokes brought her to peace and helped her concentrate. Whereas other people used deep breaths and silence to relax and think clearly (A/N: Modern people call this meditation-it's a little less refined here), Tayli could focus anywhere and everywhere as long as she had Kanai with her. As a result, she often found herself telling her sword things, if only to get them clearer in her head. After a while, if you'd had your sword for a year or so and 'knew' it, it got a lot like talking to a horse. The same listening silence, without a reaction.  
  
Weapons were strange things, really. They could be used for peace, or war. Deadly, or lifesaving. To condemn, or to honor. The same sword could be put to a million different uses, and good or evil all depended on the wielder.  
  
Tayli, and all the other aspiring warriors, had had this drummed into their heads over and over-it was a critical message, to be learnt at a young age, and learnt well. The experts that Menlan and his fellow Masters produced could do devastating things with their arts if they wanted to. ---  
  
As Tayli strolled out, she noticed that she was now the only one left in the common room. From behind each of the doors, she heard slight noises, indicating that the knights were getting washed up and possibly changing. Wandering over to the desk that William had been sitting at, she saw a sealed letter lying on top, ready for posting. It was addressed to 'Lady Melizia of Midnight Sun', and Tayli vaguely wondered who she was. Sister, mother, aunt, grandmother, friend, lover? It was someone important enough to be writing to, at least. Midnight Sun, she knew from her history lessons, was one of the noble estates that had been passed down from father to son for generations, and was supposedly one of the most beautiful in Kyrria. Whoever it was, Sir William had good connections.  
  
Vaguely thinking that she'd ask him about it later, Tayli started pacing the walls, searching for the hidden door in this room (by now, she was sure that at least all the guestrooms had them, to allow the servants hidden access). The thought that complete strangers were serving them was strange. She found the hidden exit in this room, too, hidden behind a panel, which, in contrast to the room, featured a dragon at the right spot, though it was cunningly covered and surrounded by the other repetitive decorations. She'd opened and closed it a few times when she heard one of the doors swing shut on its perfectly oiled hinges. Terian, clad in a completely new outfit (Tayli supposed one could afford to be that frivolous if one was a prince) stood at the other side of the room, staring openly at her.  
  
Tayli raised a questioning eyebrow. He blushed slightly at being caught staring, and then, casting about for an escape, blurted,  
  
"Could I look at your sword? It looks very fine."  
  
Tayli, always wary, countered, "Only if I can see yours."  
  
Terian nodded and disappeared into his room once again, emerging a few second later holding a dark green-painted leather scabbard in his hands. Gravely, Tayli unbuckled hers, and they exchanged swords at the same time.  
  
Examining the scabbard critically, Tayli saw that it was made out of fine material, yet not the strongest type of leather, like hers-it was also made to be decorative, not only practical, and could be replaced easily. She drew the sword slowly, and held it out in front of her, testing the balance- which was exactly what she'd expected of the palace swords-perfect, unless you were as acute an expert as Tayli was; the balance of the sword was the tiniest bit off, undetectable unless you were Tayli or Jaedon, her Master.  
  
Terian's sword was beautiful, though, made to impress. The hilt was broad enough to put two hands on it, wrapped in that same green leather, which, Tayli realized, taking a quick glance at the Prince, brought out his eyes. In the places where his hands wouldn't be, it was decorated by raised patters on the leather, which were then gilded with silver. The patterns depicted a leafy scene in which elves, fairies, gnomes, giants, and humans were all represented, joined together in harmony. At the very end of the hilt, where Tayli's pommel stone was, the wrapping ended and the wood underneath was revealed, forming a sculpture, perfect in every detail, of a beautiful female centaur, torso bent back over her sleek, poised body, arms flung out beside her, and hair streaming down. It fit amazingly with the overall design of the sword. The figurine was one of the most beautiful things Tayli had ever seen, and she turned it over and over in her hands to look at it completely, awed.  
  
The blade of Terian's sword weighed a little less than hers, and carved around the base with the scrolling words, "Terian, son of Charmont and Eleanor, heir to the throne of Kyrria". Hefting the blade in one hand, Tayli did a few neat practice swings, and then, having gotten the feel of the weapon, did a little fancy trick- and footwork.  
  
It was a good blade, she concluded, but its main purpose was showing off- she had no doubt that he did his practicing with an identical sword except for the decorations, and she had a sneaking suspicion that it had been a gift from his parents for his 16th birthday, judging by the new smell of leather, not yet invaded by the smell of human sweat.  
  
Sliding Terian's sword back into the scabbard, she put it aside and watched as the Prince swung and parried in a mock duel with the air. She noticed with satisfaction that he had to use two hands, and that his control seemed to be a little off, using her sword. He, in turn, slid her sword back into its scabbard and handed it back, taking his own sword in his hands.  
  
"Well?" Tayli prompted, buckling Kanai back onto her belt.  
  
"It's beautiful, but I don't understand the inscription. The pommel stone especially is brilliant. Just-I know this will sound weird-it feels kind of odd, wrong almost. The balance is perfect, but the feel isn't right. It's almost as if the sword doesn't like me. Does that sound very stupid?"  
  
Tayli shook her head, smiling, pleased. "It has to do with the peculiarities of blood magic. The ancient rituals have a strange magic woven within them, as does the sealing with blood." Terian looked even more confused, but politely refrained from asking as Tayli unconsciously traced the slight scar on her right palm.  
  
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A/N: We're working on fixing the Internet-it should be up by the end of this week. Until then, I guess I'll keep writing. At the very end of the story, there will be my authentic explanation of magic, and the blood magic will also be explained.  
  
IMPORTANT FOR ALL READERS: I'm going to start working on designing a website, so look forward to having one soon. It'll feature Kiil, explanations, and some sketches of the clothes they wear, etc. Possibly some side stories that aren't on ff.n. If you have ideas for the name of the site, feel free to contribute-I was thinking about Kanai.(whatever will show up here).com. Good/not good? Review! 


	21. Evening Petition

Evening Petition was the most important part of Duke Bruno's day. During Petition the Lubraniers (A/N: LubrAN-ee-airs) could come to him with their requests, complaints, and quarrels. He also judged any who had committed a real crime, as with Joseph Monk, who would be convicted in a week, when the necessary people had been assembled. When there were no petitioners, it was a time for socializing. Evening Petition was held in the Hall, where the household's meals were also served. The tables were moved to the side every evening so that the guests would have enough room to walk around. Anyone who wanted a say could come, but it was mostly just a socializing affair, almost like a daily ball, without dancing and not so formal.  
  
The other knights had joined Tayli and Terian shortly after their conversation, and Tayli noticed that most of them had added something to make themselves more formal-only Sirs Luke and William seemed to be going as they were before. Silently, Tayli had followed as the group followed Michael and Terian, roughly by twos in degrees of importance. She walked silently and smoothly through the elaborate hallways, simply observing. The amount of people they passed in the halls increased steadily as they got nearer their destination, until it was a steady stream of guests and servants. Most of them didn't notice Tayli, and, if they did, she always managed to slip back out of sight so quickly that they weren't sure of what they'd seen.  
  
Michael and Terian paused at the grand double doors that lead into the Hall. Seeing that there were no petitioners around at the moment, Terian proceeded, parading in with his head held high and a proud smile on his face. The knights waited a breath before following, and when Tayli was going to slip to the side, Luke smiled and beckoned her on with them, so that she had no choice but to follow. There was a small hush as the Prince entered, and the crowds parted almost automatically to allow him to get to the Duke, but when the Lubraniers caught sight of Tayli, posture proud, black cloak swirling out and behind a little, so that they caught sight of her plain breaches and tunic, they went mute. There was a moment during which you could have heard a feather touch the floor before the noise suddenly boomed forth as people whispered to their neighbors wonderingly, craning their necks to see the strange, beautiful maiden who carried a sword walking among the knights.  
  
Said knights just kept walking, led by Terian, and then stopped to make a respectful bow to Duke Bruno, who sat at one table at the opposite end of the hall. Tayli bowed to the Duke as well, as she had bowed to Sir Michael before, out of respect for his status, but said bow always had the potential to change as she got to know him further. The Duke stood and bowed back, deeply to the Prince and less so to the knights, and Tayli noticed the flaming orange hair to his side, which was also bowing to Terian and the group. When Rafe had straightened up, he looked straight into Tayli's eyes, and awareness passed between them. Silently, watched by all the gossiping Lubraniers, they bowed to each other, the deeply respectful version of the bow amongst equals.  
  
And Tayli looked to the lady on Rafe's arm, who'd curtseyed to Terian and the rest, and smiled, and the lady smiled back, a little hesitantly, as Rafe grinned.  
  
Terian and Sir Michael had been silently conferring with the Duke, and when he made an effort to smile and welcome her, in a loud, carrying voice, the Lubraniers took that as their cue to begin talking amongst themselves again.  
  
Tayli watched a little nervously as the Duke moved up to her, but was relieved when he extended his hand, smiling. She grasped it, smiling back.  
  
"I am Tayli, milord."  
  
"Welcome, Tayli, to Lubran. Sir Michael has informed me that you have only good intentions, and, that being the case, I'm sure you'll find everything very much to your liking here."  
  
"Thank you, milord." She liked the Duke already-he was kind and open, and she read only truth in his eyes, if a little fear-but he couldn't be blamed for that.  
  
"You can meet my family later, when we're not surrounded on all sides by my people. At breakfast, maybe?"  
  
"I should like that, milord." Smiling one last time, Duke Bruno wandered away from her and was immediately snatched by a group of elderly merchants, who were taking furtive glances at Tayli when they thought she wasn't watching.  
  
In truth, Tayli was watching everyone. She was standing next to the group of knights, who'd almost all found someone to talk to already, mostly either a flirt (in the younger ones' cases), or a gossiper, intent on more information on her. It wasn't the not talking that bothered Tayli; it was the amount of people there. It was overwhelming-the sight, the sound, and the smell of all those people, their closeness as they pressed in from all sides, swooping down on her already . . . She felt the fear churning in her stomach as her face paled a little. She started feeling a little dizzy and focused on noticing everything that was going on instead, trying to fight it off. So when she saw Rafe trying to casually make his way over to her, she was relieved. Taking a quick glance around, she saw the guards at the doors and knew that the Prince would be safe.  
  
It only took a few strides to get to Rafe, and by then she was feeling definitely sick. When he got close to her, he gripped her upper arm bracingly, and Tayli saw his fiancé hovering close by, obviously unsure of what to do.  
  
"Rafe. . ," Tayli said, and it came out as half a whimper-pathetic and frightened, she knew, but she was deathly afraid of crowds, and always had been. Beckoning to his lady that she follow them, Rafe steered her away from the crowds, into a back corner of the Hall which was almost deserted. As soon as she was there, Tayli's head began to clear, and her stomach settled, and she silently thanked Rafe for remembering and coming to help her. She could easily see Terian from the corner, so it was strategically a good choice too. Tayli leaned against the wall for a few minutes, resting her head against the cool stone and catching her breath as she got her body under control again.  
  
As soon as she had, she turned to the lady at Rafe's side and really looked at her for the first time. She was small, coming about to Rafe's chin, and had thick, dark brown locks that waved down to mid-back. There was a slight spattering of freckles across her nose, and her mouth seemed curved in a permanent small smile. She had a round, pretty face, and her large brown eyes sparkled with mischief. Tayli glanced between her and Rafe, noticing the adoring sidelong glances they were casting at each other, and gave her verdict: perfect.  
  
"Tayli," Rafe said, interrupting her thoughts, "meet the woman I love, Melanie. Melanie, meet Tayli, my little-sister stand-in, who's been more trouble than she's worth over the last few years."  
  
"Oh, don't get me started on what he was up to the last few times I saw him," Tayli warned, and Melanie laughed slightly, and Tayli found that it wasn't the girlish giggle she thought it would be, but a light, tinkling laugh that spoke of lively womanhood. She smiled and grasped Melanie's hand.  
  
"It's good to meet you," Tayli said warmly. She already liked Melanie and wanted to get to know her better. "And if Rafe gives you any trouble," she said with a mock glare at him, "just send for me and I'll get him for you."  
  
Melanie laughed. "Rafe, trouble? Whatever do you mean?" She replied, playing along, placing a hand on his arm fondly. Rafe snaked an arm around her shoulders and bent down to whisper something in her ear, and then kissed her lightly.  
  
"Rafe," Tayli said admonishingly, "please. Go blind someone else, if you wish." Melanie had the grace to blush and Rafe laughed uproariously.  
  
"You haven't changed at all," he said, and when Tayli shook her head, smiling, he just clapped her on the back fondly.  
  
"Why don't you take a walk with Mel? I'll watch the Prince for you."  
  
"If anything happens, Rafe Ster, I promise I will flay you with my own two hands."  
  
He raised his arms defensively. "Nothing's going to happen, Li, I promise. Now go."  
  
Tayli was obligingly turning to Melanie, after one last warning glare at Rafe, when, at the other side of the room, Duke Bruno stood up, and a gradual hush spread around the Hall. "Honored guests, Your Highness, Sirs, I have an announcement to make." 


	22. An Announcement

"To honor his Highness Prince Terian and his escort, who will be staying for a week and a half, there will be a tournament next Saturday, in exactly one week! My knights will be participating, and, I'm sure, so will His Highness's, and anyone else who has jousting or sword fighting skill may take part!" There was a huge cheer at this piece of news, and Tayli turned to Melanie, who was left by her side, as Rafe had gone back to the Duke.  
  
"Is the Prince going to take part?"  
  
"Oh, no," Melanie assured her. "Since its in honor of him he can't participate. And they wouldn't allow him to anyway-he's not old enough yet." Tayli nodded, satisfied.  
  
"Rafe will be, though," Melanie added almost as an afterthought, and that was when Tayli got her idea.  
  
"Melanie-" she started, but Melanie broke in.  
  
"Call me Mel."  
  
"Mel, then. Would you help me with something? You see, I was thinking . . ."  
  
^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
William chuckled at Terian's momentarily peeved expression, and then glanced around, trying to spot a certain woman in black. It was obvious that she knew Ster better than the rest of them combined-Michael hadn't been the only one to notice the strange bows, each varying just a little bit. She'd used one of these on Ster, and he'd mirrored her, sending a small ripple of shock throughout the Hall. When flirting women beset him, he'd managed to notice that Ster had gripped her arm and steered her off somewhere . . . but where?  
  
Speaking of flirting women . . . he turned his attention back to the heavily made-up damsel at his side. She was pretty enough, but he couldn't help feeling, as always, that too much makeup made maidens look like jesters. Fiona, she'd said her name was. She was of a medium build, but incredibly skinny, with wispy blond hair curled on top of her head and blue eyes that looked becomingly up at him through her lashes. She was smiling at him each time she stopped chattering to draw breath, and William felt like backing away slowly, half convinced she'd suddenly stab him, all hidden by that fake smile.  
  
"And I just know you'll do amazing in the tournament," Fiona was saying, batting her eyelashes, "because you just look like the best knight to win . . . you know, the strongest, most able." William mentally sneered at her pathetic attempts to win him over (and, he suspected, seduce him), but kept a polite face and simply nodded. He'd do well, but many of the older knights had more experience-Willy was still just a face in the crowd.  
  
Suddenly Fiona gasped. "Oh, that I did not think about it before! I will give you something to wear in my honor, then you will certainly win, what say you?" She laughed a fake, high-pitched little laugh that made William want to cover his ears.  
  
"I-I-Well," He stammered, repulsed by her spontaneously ill-placed offer of something that was normally asked for. It was then that the doors opened, not creaking but still loudly, so that everyone in the room stopped talking to look at the entrance to the Hall. William saw Luke beckoning over and hastily bowed to Fiona, incredibly relieved.  
  
Weaving his way through the people assembled, William went to stand next to Luke. Everyone had cleared out of the center of the room, and Duke Bruno had taken a seat at the table, with Ster, Terian and the knights ranged out behind him.  
  
"Well, Willy," his best friend leaned down to whisper, in the lingering hubbub, "it looks like you've already found someone." William shuddered, hissing back,  
  
"Don't even speak about her to me." Luke chuckled softly, then glanced out to another side of the Hall. William followed his gaze and saw one of the ranged damsels suddenly blush as Luke winked.  
  
"Luke!" he said, aghast, "You're supposed to be courting someone at home!"  
  
The older man smiled and patted William on the back. "I know, Willy, I know, but there's no harm done! I need someone to take my mind of things here!"  
  
William frowned but said nothing, watching a squire come in to announce a petitioner. Everyone in the Hall had gone still, all eyes on the door.  
  
If there was one thing that William didn't like about his friend, it would be his tendency to be a ladies' man. Luke seemed to be courting a different damsel every week or so, and would suddenly move on to a new one, as if changing his mind. All of these were the typical court flirts, who were used to this way of things and accepted it, basking in the flirtation while it came and letting it go when it went. William didn't even want to think about what Luke did with the women when they both weren't to be found.  
  
And he didn't like it. He stuck to the idea that one day, Luke would break a lady's heart, and not even realize it. Also, the younger man didn't believe that Luke's real partner lay within the groups of socializing aspirers for power that Frell held. A more down-to-earth type was what his friend needed. But would he listen? No. Of course not. Luke liked his life- though William was convinced that at least half was a charade-and William knew that he also liked, well, there was no other term he could use . . . sleeping around. Secretly, he knew that Luke also attracted a lot of the whores in the castle, as well as pretty maids or other servants.  
  
William hated the other life his best friend led, and never hesitated to try to convince him to live otherwise. But Luke still went through maiden after maiden without looking back . . . and William had an unpleasant suspicion that Tayli was next.  
  
^^^^^In the meantime^^^^^  
  
"So," Tayli asked once she'd finished explaining her plan, "how did you get Rafe to tie himself down?"  
  
Mel blushed slightly. "Well, it . . . um . . . just happened." Tayli gave her a mock glare and Mel hastened to explain more. "You'll probably think I'm crazy for saying this, but, for me, it was love at first sight-I knew from the beginning that it wasn't the same with him. It was . . . indescribable," she finished, with a dreamy look on her face.  
  
And Tayli looked at this girl, who was younger than she was, and wondered slightly at the amount of things Mel knew that the young Kiin had never experienced before. Then she shook of the feeling and smiled. "I never would have thought that Rafe was capable of settling down. I never really thought about it, you know, but now it just seems like the most natural thing in the world for him to do." She was rewarded with a beam from Mel.  
  
Tayli liked Mel, she really did. And she knew that, because of that and because she was going to marry Rafe, she was making more of an effort to be friendly, being more open, talking more. It was strange, and half of her was screaming that she should cut down on the flow of words, with the other half arguing that this made sense-she had to get to know this girl, to make Rafe happy.  
  
It was then that the large double doors opened, and Tayli glanced quickly at Mel, who nodded to her, before making her way to stand ominously behind the seated Prince, a blank, serious look on her face, one hand on her sword. It was her job, and she loved the job itself, but Tayli couldn't deny that she got a little amusement out of astonishing the people-they were all so soft! She couldn't envy anything about their easy lifestyle.  
  
After a short pause, in which the tumult in the room stilled to a quiet murmur, a squire stepped in to announce, "The farmers Jackson and Herbert to see you, milord." The Duke nodded, and the squire showed two men, presumably Jackson and Herbert, into the Hall.  
  
They were stoic men, with close-cropped beards and kind faces-if it hadn't been for the death glares they were sending each other. Each had put on his best clothes, though the simple, dyed cloth wasn't much compared to the fabrics some of the guests had donned. They marched stiffly to the Duke's table, obviously uncomfortable in the crowd of finely dressed aristocrats. Once there, they bowed to Duke Bruno, and then bowed even lower to the Prince. When their eyes swept across Tayli Jackson, a blond-haired, blue- eyed man, gaped while Herbert sneered a little. Tayli stiffened, though she could tell that no danger would come from these men.  
  
"Yes?" the Duke inquired. "What is the problem? I presume it is an argument between you two?"  
  
"Yes, milord," Jackson replied, his warm tenor voice bearing the characteristic Lubranier farmer's drawl. "Herbert and I are both farmers from families of farmers, though we stuck to plantin' rather than breedin' livestock. Herbert an' his family owned a fine black bull, used to do much of the heavy work on the farm-pulling the plow and so on." Herbert, obviously not a talkative type, only nodded. "I, on the other hand, own two cows-one young, the other still fertile, but old all the same. Herbert, being worried about his farm once his bull died, wanted to come to a matin' agreement. I had no problem with it."  
  
Here Herbert cleared his throat and started talking, casting a dark look at Jackson as he did so. He had a deep, scratchy voice. "We agreed that we would mate my bull to both of his cows. Then, if both had a calf, we'd each keep one. If only one had a calf, we'd mate her to my bull agin after a while, and we'd each take a calf. It worked out well for both of us-it got me another calf and Jackson would have a new calf when his old cow died."  
  
"But," Jackson said, and here Herbert began to look a little upset, while also angry, "it didn't work out the way we planned-Herbert's bull died from an accident shortly after we mated it to my cows, and only one of them was pregnant-the older cow. We still hoped that they would be twins, but we got only one calf a few weeks ago. And we've been fightin' about who should get the calf ever since."  
  
"I should, milord," Herbert interrupted. "It was my bull that fathered it, and now I don't have any workin' beasts left, while he," he shot a glare at Jackson, "still has two. I need that calf to work on my farm, and I have more right to it because of that and because I owned the father."  
  
"No, milord, I should. It was my cow that bore the calf in the first place, and it's gonna be sucklin' for a while. And, it's been livin' off of my costs in hay and cares, plus the milk I've been missin' from the mother. I have more right to that calf than he does."  
  
The two farmers stood, facing each other in the fancy Hall, exchanging arguments and insults in their rough accent. The Duke tiredly leaned his face on his hand, letting them argue while the people around them murmured softly. The Prince, too, at the Duke's right hand, seemed deep in thought, and Tayli could only infer that he'd offered help. The Duke mumbled to himself once in a while, and Tayli caught the words 'buy', 'eat', 'offer', 'pride', and 'money'. After each bad idea he shook his head, disheartened. Often, he conferred in whispers to Rafe. The knights were murmuring amongst themselves, as were the rest of the guests. Tayli didn't think about the problem-that wasn't what she was there for.  
  
Terian was staring into space and had a curious expression, as if he was watching something take shape in his mind. She kept him in the corner of her vision as she continuously scanned the hall, and saw when his face lit up-Prince Terian had found the answer. 


	23. Liam

A/N: Once again, I apologize for the very long delay. My Internet has been down for a month and only got fixed yesterday. I'm very sorry-I'll try to update as much as I can now. I apologize for the shortness of this chapter, I don't really have a good excuse, except that it belonged as a separate chapter.  
  
Thank you for understanding!  
  
Wormy  
  
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Terian leaned in to whisper a long series of words into Duke Bruno's ear. Tayli politely refrained from listening and focused on the Lubraniers instead. Apparently, most of them weren't talking about the calf dilemma- they were mostly casting quick looks at her before whispering furtively to their neighbors. She saw looks of contempt, disgust, and disbelief cast her way, and realized with slight disappointment that people here were exactly the same as the ones in Bast. It seemed that the Duke, Rafe and Melanie, and the knights were the most open-minded of them all. And not even all of the knights were welcoming her-mainly the older ones, and certainly Sir Jon, were still frowning at her whenever they had the chance, clearly disapproving.  
  
But these people weren't her job-Terian was. And her job was momentarily getting to his feet, clearing his throat a little obviously. Tayli stepped a little to the side.  
  
"Master Jackson," Terian began, "is the calf male or female of gender?" Jackson bowed a little before answering that the calf was male. Terian exchanged a quick look with the Duke.  
  
"So, according to what I have heard, there are three problems here," Terian continued in his most suave voice. "Master Herbert needs a draft animal for his farm; Master Jackson needs a cow to replace his old one, and requires repayment for the cost. In this way, both of you have rights to the calf. Correct?"  
  
Both farmers nodded gravely, anxiously waiting for the verdict.  
  
"I have this suggestion to offer: that Master Herbert receives the calf when it is done suckling-" Terian raised a commanding hand to stop the tide of objections from Jackson and the Lubraniers who were siding with him, "- when it is done suckling. Presumably, the calf will be a mature bull quite soon. How long will this take?" he asked Herbert.  
  
"It will take a year or two, Your Majesty," the farmer answered. (A/N: I'm just guessing here so don't yell at me!"  
  
"Good. At that time, Master Jackson's young cow will be fertile. The young bull can be mated to the cow at that time, and the resulting calf will be Master Jackson's."  
  
The two farmers looked at him with something like surprise, mingled with respect-they'd never honestly expected the young Prince to offer such a sensible suggestion.  
  
"But, Your Majesty," Jackson said tentatively, "that means that I will be without that source of income for some time. Do I ask too much when I ask for repayment?"  
  
"He's right," Herbert conceded, feeling generous now that he'd gotten his way-besides, he and Jackson had been friends before the argument, "It's only fair." His thick accent was laced a little with pity-Herbert obviously felt that he'd gotten the better deal.  
  
Jackson glanced at him quickly, pleasantly surprised, and then looked back to Terian, who was just finishing a whispered conversation with Duke Bruno. When he straightened up, he said,  
  
"While your old cow is still living, you shall receive one fourth of the income the calf would bring you. When the old cow dies, you'll receive all of the income until you have another calf." Farmer Jackson mulled it over before nodding-it seemed fair to him.  
  
"Do you both agree?" Terian asked. "Master Herbert? Master Jackson?" Both nodded gravely. "Then that's settled. I wish you both luck, and my regards to the young bull." His swarthy face cracked into a smile as the assembled Lubraniers began clapping and laughing, both farmers bowing to the table in general before backing out of the Hall.  
  
Tayli was slightly surprised at the verdict. She had not expected that much bargaining and speaking skill in Terian either, and she mentally revised her opinion of him. 'Liam,' suddenly popped into her head and she smiled a little. Perfect. 


	24. Visitors in the Night

A/N: Sorry for the delay (again) but I was suffering from a major writer's block. Also, I may not be answering reviewers for a while-but I still appreciate them a lot, so keep it up!  
  
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Evening Petition dispersed soon, to Tayli's relief. She hated being looked at as if she was some kind of freak show exhibit. Smirking a little, she pictured it in her mind: 'Come see the woman who acts like a man!' someone would shout. 'Challenge her to a duel, 10 to 1 odds you'll be beat!' Anyone who put her in a freak show could make a massive amount of money on it, she decided. Men were just too proud to admit defeat. She'd had to trounce each new recruit at Menlan's school, because none had believed that a woman could fight. Thinking of Menlan, Tayli felt a twinge of homesickness, before brushing it away swiftly. * He'll be proud, * she reminded herself.  
  
The knights slowly left the Hall, Tayli being one of the first to leave, literally sick of the crowds. William, Zachary, and Luke left simultaneously, although Tayli noticed with well-hidden disgust that Luke, with a coy, giggling damsel on his arm, was going in a completely different direction from their rooms. She'd have to watch out for that man.  
  
Once the three of them were outside the hall, William announced that he was going to find the kitchen.  
  
"Don't mind him," Zachary whispered to her sidelong, "he's always hungry." Tayli smiled and William grinned.  
  
"Always. You want anything to sate your ever-growling stomach, Zachary?"  
  
Sir Zachary grinned good-naturedly, caught. "A few sandwiches would be nice."  
  
William snorted but agreed, and then asked Tayli if she wanted anything. Tayli, thinking back on the long hours of ration-less riding she'd done that day, felt her stomach scream at her to say yes.  
  
"Actually, I haven't eaten anything since breakfast." She smiled a little at William's shocked face.  
  
"Right. A dozen or so sandwiches for Sir Eat-a-lot," he saluted Zachary, who saluted right back, "A bite or so for me and a 7 course meal for the dainty dame." Tayli smiled and Zachary burst out laughing.  
  
"Sounds good."  
  
"How will I ever manage to carry it all back?" he wondered before wandering off in a random direction to find the room of his choice.  
  
Zachary smiled at her and together they set off to the common room, Tayli leading because she knew the way, while Sir Zachary obviously hadn't been paying the least bit of attention to the directions.  
  
While they walked, the horse-loving knight asked her questions about Moonflight.  
  
"What is your horse like? Stallion, gelding, or mare?"  
  
"A stallion," she answered. "Completely black."  
  
"Do you have records on his bloodline? My mare is descended from the finest horses in the King's stables."  
  
"No. My Master bought him for me three years ago-all I really know was that his sire was one of the fleetest they had."  
  
"Ah. How is his temperament?"  
  
"I find it gentle and fun-loving; everyone else thinks he's high-spirited and skittish, not to mention dangerous."  
  
"My mare, Nayla, is the tamest thing you've ever seen-but when you get her blood riled, it's amazing how vicious she can become, and then I'm her only master."  
  
Tayli chuckled softly at the knight's bragging. "I am always Moonflight's only master. Or mistress."  
  
"Moonflight?" Zachary queried, and Tayli shrugged.  
  
"'The flight of the moon' was a poetic name for night and shadows that I found somewhere. I liked it, and it suited him." She didn't add that 'laiel ov fa sla el' fa lon' (wait for the flight of the moon) was part of an old Kiin ballad-that was a piece of information the knight didn't need to know.  
  
The knight was silent for a moment. "Is he always like that?"  
  
She glanced at him questioningly.  
  
"Like with Terian," he specified quickly.  
  
Tayli turned back to watching the hall, not seeing the surprise and hint of confusion mixed with a little fear that flashed across his face as she answered in a flat, even tone, "Of course."  
  
By this time, they had arrived at their common room. Tayli eased the door open, senses on the alert as Sir Zachary started talking about horses again. She barely heard him; concentrating on the dark room they were about to enter-and saw that something was amiss. The curtains around the window seat were billowing slightly and it was cool in the room-which meant that the window was open. Which, in turn, meant that someone had come in through the window-some shadowy feeling told her that it hadn't just been the servants who wanted to let the fresh air in. In that case, they'd have pulled the curtains aside and probably lit a fire-there was none. Abruptly, her hand shot up into the air at the level of her shoulder, making the Kiin gesture for silence-it was easily understandable, a raised open hand with the palm facing away from the gesturer. Zachary stopped talking abruptly, if only because Tayli had involuntarily hit his face in her movement.  
  
When he made a slight noise of protest, she hissed almost inaudibly, "There's somebody in there."  
  
That silenced him immediately, and Tayli opened the door a little further, slipping in, her widened pupils taking in everything in the room. There was no one there, and even the curtains had stopped moving in the silence.  
  
Wait-that wasn't right. The curtains had been billowing just before, they should have been moving, but weren't anymore. Silently, Tayli left Zachary standing at the door and padded across the room; careful not to let her booted feet make any noise on the carpeted floor.  
  
She was at the curtains, and she could sense that someone was standing behind them, tense and trying to keep their breathing shallow. One hand firmly on Kanai's hilt, she snaked out an arm and jerked the heavy curtains aside in one fluid movement.  
  
She was instantly attacked. She dimly heard Zachary give a shout as the man who'd been standing on the window-seat jumped her, a glimmer of light giving away the blade in his hand. Tayli caught him full on and threw him off of her before struggling to keep him on the floor. She could feel the heady wave of adrenaline that surged through her, the energy and enhancement of her senses acute. Her heart pounded and so did the rest of her body as she fought to keep control, both of herself and the other man.  
  
He'd managed to catch his blade on her shoulder in the dark, and the sharp, white-hot pain only fueled her rage. Growling, she grappled with his wrist, eventually holding it down while he heaved and rolled to try and get her off of him.  
  
Suddenly he tried to roll over on his stomach, intending to reverse the positions-but Tayli, prepared for the possible tactic, merely lifted her weight slightly and let him roll, shoving him to help while twisting the wrist that held the deadly steel up behind his back. When he let out a grunt of pain she swiftly brought the side of her hand down on his neck, half-paralyzing the man and causing his head to jerk upwards involuntarily. With a final heavy blow to the man's temple, the unfairly matched fight was ended.  
  
The whole tussle had taken little more than a minute, and Sir Zachary was still fumbling to light the room when Tayli stepped away from her opponent, his blade in hand. Panting a little, she motioned Zachary over with the light to inspect her cut shoulder.  
  
Tayli cursed under her breath. The wound was deep enough to be bleeding profusely, and hurt. It wasn't the worst of any of her old injuries, but her shoulder still throbbed.  
  
Sir Zachary whistled and Tayli nodded, grim.  
  
"You bind him," she said. "I'll take care of this."  
  
Zachary looked skeptical, but did as he was told and found some rope to bind the unconscious man on the floor, while Tayli went to her bathroom to look for something to clean and fix her wound with.  
  
The bathroom did not look promising-everything was just too fancy to be marring with her blood, and the lush towels that were available didn't suit her needs. In the end, she settled for using the basin and pitcher of water there to rinse her cut out. Carefully, she rolled up her sleeve and was just gritting her teeth to begin when the others arrived. 


	25. Aftermath

IMPORTANT FOR ALL READERS! FORGOTTEN CHAPTERS! I realized I forgot to upload certain chapters-so go back a little and start reading again starting from Evening Petition . . . Duke Bruno's announcement, among other things, will be cleared up then.  
  
A/N: Again, sorry for the huge delay, but I think I have the biggest writer's block in history. I just need to get over this hurdle (meaning the stay in Lubran) until I'll be going strong again-so this will probably continue over several chapters, but after that it'll be smoother going.  
  
I'm sorry this one is so short. . . I wanted to put something up while I chew away at my writer's block.  
  
I'm also sorry I wasn't able to answer any reviews-I somehow managed to delete all my emails since, like, November. Thanks for understanding,  
  
Wormy  
  
$$$$$$$$$$  
  
She heard the commotion in the common room and paused a minute before making her way to the door, keeping her hand over her wound to keep the blood from flowing and dirtying her surroundings, wincing as she did so.  
  
All of the other knights but William had arrived, and they were talking and gesturing loudly as Zachary attempted to explain, although he hadn't gotten a proper look at what was going on. Tayli glanced around the room, unnoticed in the doorframe, and saw Terian looking perplexed and a little paranoid as he sat in a chair by the now blazing fire. Softly, she went over to him.  
  
When she touched his shoulder lightly with her uninjured hand, he started and looked up quickly. At the sight of the blood that was oozing out from between her fingers, he turned a shade paler and called for Garram to come quickly.  
  
Tayli was confused, though she kept her face carefully free of emotion as always. What could Garram, the least noticeable of the party, do to help? When he came rushing over, armed with strips of cloth and some string, she understood, and, thinking back, she scolded herself for not having realized it sooner-Joseph Monk had been healed after she'd stabbed him.  
  
By this time, everyone had noticed her presence, and were asking questions busily and gawking at the bloody hand that covered her shoulder (although she couldn't be sure if some were actually gawking at her immodestly exposed arm). She ignored them, following Garram as he beckoned her back towards her bathroom. Starting to get a headache from all of the loud talking, Tayli shut the door behind her. The Kiin were never this loud, even when there was a problem to be solved. They were raised better.  
  
Sighing almost inaudibly, she grit her teeth as Garram took a cloth and water and started to clean her shoulder.  
  
^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
When William returned, having successfully found the kitchen and requested that some food be brought up, he found the others in the process of calming down. It didn't take long before he knew the whole story, and it only increased his respect for Tayli-someone who could take on a hidden attacker in the dark while being outweighed, in a position that would disadvantage them, and without a weapon was a better fighter than he was-though he didn't like admitting it. He wished he'd been there to witness it, although Sir Zachary assured him that he'd barely seen anything. When he asked where Tayli was, he was told that she'd been cut fairly deep in the shoulder and that Garram was taking care of it. Speculating, he asked about her reaction to her injury-a woman of the court would almost definitely faint or go into hysterics when faced with the pain and any blood at all, but he had no idea how Tayli would react.  
  
And, though he hadn't been expecting the usual, he was shocked to hear that she'd accepted it with something akin to indifference, as if the pain didn't matter, or didn't register, and she hadn't been at all fazed by the sight of her own blood. Terian even told him that she'd come out, hand clamped over her shoulder and blood oozing out, to try and soothe nerves.  
  
It was completely amazing, and he knew that the older knights were revising their opinion of her quickly-anyone who could accomplish such things was an asset.  
  
^^^^^^^^^  
  
After Garram had efficiently wrapped her shoulder, considerably dulling the pain, he left to go 'report', as he jokingly called it. Tayli hadn't talked much, only an occasional grunt or nod had shown that she was listening to his chatter at all, but she knew that he was talking to distract her, and recognized his skill. She was gripping the back of a nearby chair until her knuckles turned white to stop from making any sound-the cleansing of it hurt more than the wound itself.  
  
Sighing in relief, she dug in her saddlebags to find her extra clothes. She pulled out her extra long-sleeved shirt and tunic, and pulled them on, putting her soiled ones in the basin of water to soak the blood out, scrubbing at them half-heartedly with soap before giving up and going back outside, wrapped shoulder and arm concealed and face as blank as always, in no way showing that she'd just been wounded.  
  
Meanwhile, Michael had gathered the knights into some semblance of order, and they were all seated around the big table. Silently, Tayli drew out the last chair, letting the knights' babble wash over her. She looked at Michael, who sat on her left side. Quietly, he told her that they'd sent someone to get Duke Bruno and 'Master Ster', after which he pounded incessantly on the table until everyone had quieted.  
  
"Would you care to explain what happened, Mistress Tayli?" he asked her, and Tayli quickly and efficiently told her story, as she had been taught to do.  
  
Just as she finished, someone knocked, and Terian stood up to open the door. The Duke, Rafe, and a servant stood in the doorway, and Tayli sighed almost inaudibly, resigning herself to telling the whole story again. 


	26. Challenging a rat

A/N: I am so sorry for the weeks it's taken me to update, but I had  
  
1. a huge writer's block  
  
2. TONS of homework and studying  
  
3. swim practice  
  
4. problems with the parentals (meaning they banned me from the computer for a while).  
  
So sorry!  
  
This might not be up to par yet, but I'm just getting back into the 'zone'. Enjoy!  
  
$$$$$$$$  
  
Tayli started to rise when the Duke and Rafe came in, but the congenial man waved her back down, a grave set to his features that made it clear to her that the happy-family-man image he portrayed was really only one side of his personality. The air of complete control he radiated was one she didn't fancy facing at any time during her stay. She had a feeling that any who opposed him at a time like this would get nervous just looking at him. He took matters into his own hands with a few brisk orders.  
  
"Your excuses for the disrespect, Sirs, Your Highness, but I would like to know exactly what has been going on in my home. We found a few of the guards unconscious and a servant reported strange noises in these rooms. I wish to know what is going on right now." He stressed the two last words and no one doubted that tarrying with the tale would have uncomfortable repercussions. Next to him, Rafe was calmly taking the tray from the servant, thanking her kindly and sending her on her way.  
  
Tayli spoke. "We had a . . . ah . . . slight problem with an unskilled assassin, milord, but it's been resolved." She gestured to the opposite wall, where the unconscious prisoner was bound at the ankles and wrists. The Duke spared him a glance before sitting down in one of the two chairs Rafe had pulled up, leaning forward onto the table with a business-like air.  
  
"Ster," he barked, "send for Captain Malay. He is to report here immediately with four good men at his disposal." Tayli saw a flicker of a frown cross Rafe's face, but a moment later it was gone, and she thought she'd imagined it as he did the Duke's bidding without question.  
  
"In the meantime," Duke Bruno said, relaxing a little into his customary jovial air, "who was this food meant for?" Tayli smiled a little.  
  
"A part of it is mine, milord. I haven't eaten since breakfast and Sir William was kind enough to go find the kitchens, no doubt marking where they were for future . . . errands." Glancing at him, she saw the faintest hint of a blush on William's face, and a broad smile on Zachary's. The corner of her mouth twitched as she fought to keep from laughing at the delightful chastened look on the youngest knight's face.  
  
"Well then," the Duke said, a slight smile on his face, "eat it." Tayli nodded, pulling one of the plates to her, only then realizing just how hungry she was. She summoned her best manners to set to polish off her dinner, but she could see from the faintly amused expressions on the faces around her that they weren't in any way close to the delicate, lady-like dealings of the court. No matter. She was hungry.  
  
The knights carried on a light conversation as she ate, listening with half an ear. The food was good, several thick slices of the dark, aromatic bread so common to the area around Lubran, spread with a creamy sort of cheese she'd never seen before; combined with a few delicacies, no doubt left over from that night's dinner: a bit of an airy cake coated with a sticky, honeyish substance; a cream-filled globe of chocolate with a large nut in the middle that she bit down on a little too hard, hitting her teeth painfully on the nut; and a sprig of delightfully tangy red berries. When Rafe came to sit next to her, she offered him a bit of the airy cake, and he took it thankfully.  
  
"This is called bridescake," he told her. "My particular favorite."  
  
"Why bridescake?" Tayli asked, mildly curious.  
  
"That," Rafe replied, managing to look both sad and mischievous at once, "is a story for when we're in less decent company. Most of our jolly companions don't even know the real story; I had to ask a humble farmer's wife. It is quite crude."  
  
"Well, I think I like this chocolaty one better, even though it's almost broken my teeth." At that, Rafe had to laugh, and Tayli smiled openly, infinitely glad to have her older brother back.  
  
^^^^^^^^  
  
They did not have to wait much longer for Captain Malay to arrive in the room. He entered looking imperious, and Rafe let out a low hiss of breath, murmuring in Tayli's ear, "He's an egotistical bastard, but apparently he saved the Duke's life a long time ago, and has proved his worth since. I haven't seen any worth at all in him." Tayli had to admit that, at first glance, he did not look a nice man. He had short-cropped, steel gray hair and a thin face, with a set of heavy eyebrows that seemed permanently creased in a frown, wrinkles forming on his tanned brow. His skin was pockmarked and he had a stiff mustache and a large chin, with thin lips pressed into an impeccable line. The captain gave the impression of having been a scrawny youth, though the handsome livery he wore wasn't enough to hide the slight stomach he had developed at a later age. There was a furtive cast to his eyebrows, and his hands constantly twitched nervously with the hem of his tunic. Tayli was reminded very strongly of a rat, the sneer that alighted on his face at the sight of her not doing anything to change that impression.  
  
She didn't remember seeing him at Evening Petition, in fact, she'd never seen him before, but that didn't change the fact that he was casting extremely lewd looks at her. She stiffened, glowering at him.  
  
Completely ignoring her, he bowed to his Lord, who told him what had taken place, filled in with the details the knights had given him. Malay listened attentively, and then told the four soldiers who'd accompanied him to search the rooms. Tayli scoffed inwardly, there was no way anything that had been there wasn't gone yet, but she held her tongue, not wanting to start a fight. Everything about the man annoyed her, from the constant twitching of his hands to the oily way he talked and the way he ignored her totally. Beside her Rafe growled almost unnoticeably, and she touched his shoulder in quiet reassurance. The instance she'd done it, she knew Malay had seen, and was filing it away for further reference.  
  
With the soldiers busy searching the rooms; Malay spoke into the sudden quiet that had descended on them.  
  
"Tell me, Ster," he drawled languidly, "when did you start dressing your whores in breeches?" Tayli's snarl was audible, and inside her, the rage smoldered, the consuming temper she'd fought to keep control of all these years. Rafe placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder as she made to rise, and the warmth made her realize where she was. Tayli tried to calm down, but to little avail.  
  
"I don't know about you, Captain Malay," he replied coolly, "but generally refrain from having affairs with family, much less my sister." A smirk flickered on his lips as Malay turned an unbecoming shade of angry red.  
  
The whole table was silent as they watched what would soon become a full- fledged fight. "Captain," Duke Bruno warned, "watch your tongue. This is the lady who defeated the intruder in the first place."  
  
Malay smirked evilly. "Oh, come now, milord. You can't truly believe a woman defeated a man almost twice her size? And as to her being Ster's sister . . . they look nothing alike. I'm rather tempted to think that this is all set up. Who's to say she won't murder us in our beds tonight? If she can, that is."  
  
Tayli growled, shaking off Rafe's hand as she stood. The knights and Terian watched in perfect silence. "Is that a threat, Captain," she said in a low, menacing tone, "or is it a challenge?"  
  
He shrugged. "I do not challenge women."  
  
Tayli smiled wolfishly. "Just as I do not challenge the likes of you, rat. Which means that that must have been a threat." Malay stood too, and even the Duke was powerless to stop them now. Rafe voiced a small snort of emotion, but precisely which one it was no one could tell.  
  
Tayli stalked to the open area of the room, Malay following self-assuredly after, slowly drawing his sword. Tayli drew hers, and they faced off.  
  
"I will not honor you with a bow, rat," she spat. The rage had been boiling up inside her until it could no longer be ignored. She was acting on sheer anger now, furious. Most of the time, she could keep her fierce temper under control, but it became too much now.  
  
"Maybe a curtsey would be better, traitor."  
  
It was over in a matter of minutes. Malay was disarmed, backed against the wall with Kanai el' Kumm at his neck, and looking noticeably paler than before. Tayli curled her lip in disdain at the pitiful excuse for a man before her.  
  
"Never call me a traitor, rat. Never." Her voice was only a low hiss, but they all heard it clearly, for even the soldiers had stopped their half- hearted searching and were watching with bated breath.  
  
Unabashed and smirking, Malay trailed a hand up her side possessively. "My, but we're a feisty little pet aren't we? It's a good thing I let you win, wouldn't want to waste you on a sword, after all."  
  
The rage leapt to unbelievable heights at his lewd touch, filling her to the core and pounding adrenaline through her veins. She spat into his face derisively, and then stepped away, relieving the pressure on his neck.  
  
"It's a blessing for you that you hold an important position here, otherwise you would have found yourself without certain appendages I think you prize highly within the next few minutes. If you even had them to begin with. Remember that, rat, because next time I won't be so merciful." Then, turning undisturbed to Duke Bruno, "Milord, I am slightly upset. I would have hoped better of your subject's hospitality. I am retiring."  
  
She walked to her door, shoving aside the soldier who stood there and snatching her throwing knives out of his hands. Then she turned around, almost languidly. "And don't worry. They will not attack again."  
  
"How do you know?" the Duke asked, and there was a tinge of fear in his voice. Everyone else seemed struck dumb, although Rafe was grinning his head off. Tayli had no doubt that Melanie would be hearing all about this.  
  
"I just do," she replied, and that was that. Bowing to the company in general, she backed into her room, subtly flicking the hand signal for safety and peace at Rafe, the traditional mimed farewell.  
  
She shut the door just in time to hear Rafe burst out laughing.  
  
$$$$$$$$  
  
A/N: So what do you think? I actually thought it was pretty good. Next chapter we'll have some of William's POV (after Tayli goes to bed), also the interrogation of the assassin, and a very big event that will explain lots of Tayli's character. How did you like the rage thing?  
  
By the way, the story of the bridescake will be on my website once I get it up.  
  
Please review everybody!!!  
  
Wormy 


	27. Polishing

A/N: Sorry it took so long; I was on vacation. These chapters are getting harder and harder to write; not because I don't have any ideas-I do-but because all those ideas take place in a later part of the story. So basically I'm just winging it.  
  
Thanks to all my reviewers!  
  
Wormy  
  
$$$$$$$$  
  
Bemused, William watched Tayli disappear into her room. "Without certain appendages?" he murmured, and beside him Ster burst out laughing.  
  
"It figures," the wiry man said. "She'd do it too."  
  
William winced. "That's hardly decent!" Ster just chuckled.  
  
The Duke was staring at the closed door, bemused. "She 'just knows'?"  
  
Ster nodded gravely. "Oh, yes. She gets 'feelings' about things like this, and she hasn't been wrong yet."  
  
From his spot against the wall, they could all hear Malay mutter something that sounded suspiciously like 'damned bitch'.  
  
William jumped as Ster suddenly stood, face contorted in fury. "Which reminds me," he said in a voice that somehow managed to sound loud and booming and icily cold at the same time, "Captain Malay of the Guard of Lubran, I challenge you. You have dared to question my morals; not only in betraying my wife before we are even married, but to suggest that I committed such a foul act with my adopted sister! I am disgusted, 'Captain'. Not only that, you have also challenged my integrity and hers by suggesting that we are part of an outrageous plot to 'murder you all in your beds', and in doing so have doubted the judgment of our Lord Bruno. I challenge you personally to duel with me on the day of the tournament. Do you accept it? Or are you afraid?" He added the last part with a leer.  
  
"I accept your challenge, Ravernon Ster, Chief Advisor of my Lord. But why can we not duel now, here? Do you need extra time to practice?"  
  
Ster smirked evilly. "Oh, no, Captain. I want everyone to watch you lose." Malay was just about to make an indignant response when Duke Bruno stood up, banging his fist on the table.  
  
"That is enough! I will not have this squabbling amongst us! Captain Malay, you have dishonored yourself by your slandering tongue, but I am willing to let it pass once. No more. And Ster, you have made your point. Taunting him is not helping matters. One more such incident and I will see to it that you are both 'reminded' of proper decorum accordingly! Have I made myself clear?"  
  
William was struck with a vision of his father, who'd had a manner surprisingly like the Duke's, using that same phrase to discipline his often-wayward son. As a child, he'd been terrified of facing his strict father, and he understood the sheepish, chastened looks on the two grown men's faces perfectly.  
  
The Duke turned to Terian. "Your Highness, I am sorry that you had to experience this on your first night here. I assure you that Lubran is much more pleasant than this on normal days."  
  
William stopped listening as Terian graciously replied, and many of the other knights also lost interest. Soon the room became alive with the buzz of busy chatter. He saw Luke gesturing him to the fire, and went to join his friend.  
  
Luke had a dreamy, lustful expression on his face that made William's stomach tighten. "What a woman, aye Willy?"  
  
William scoffed. "Do you want to keep your 'certain appendages' or not, Luke? Don't be a fool and keep to seducing the court ladies. Speaking of which, where's your lovely damsel for the night?" There was more than a little sarcasm and scorn in his tone, but Luke cheerily ignored it, as always.  
  
"Oh, don't fret you head about me, Willy. We have an appointment for later tonight." William shook his head, disgusted. Granted, he had the occasional tumble with a flirty maid or so himself, but they were just that: occasional, and he was never the seducer. His bed partners always knew exactly what they were getting themselves into.  
  
Luke, on the other hand, persuaded foolhardy ladies of the court to join him on a regular basis with false promises and implications. William shuddered away from thinking about how many hearts he'd have broken by now, not to mention the amount of bastard children he could have sired . . . It was repulsive. But, by now, he knew better than to use logic against his friend. It hadn't worked so far.  
  
Vaguely, he listened to Luke's chatter, occasionally putting in a grunt or sound of approval, letting the noise in the room wash over him, leaving him alone in his little island of thought. He wasn't sure what to think of Tayli. She had proven her worth as a warrior, obviously. William was sure that she was a better fighter than any of them. She'd also just shown one of the best examples of hotheadedness he'd seen in a while. Her rage had been so all-consuming that he found himself wondering what else had instigated it: no one became that angry at a few choice words. There must have been a deeper rage already there, covered by the cool façade. What could have possibly made her that angry?  
  
She was Ster's adopted sister, which didn't really surprise him because they'd been so comfortable with each other from the beginning. And she was also beautiful and unreachable. She'd seemed to open up a little after Evening Petition, but that had been canceled by the abrupt attack.  
  
That brought to mind her 'feelings' about danger and the necessary precautions. They were odd, to say the least, and he wasn't sure whether or not he could trust them yet. After all, they were just feelings. But she had known that extra precaution was needed on the night that Terian had almost been assassinated, and none of them had guessed at that necessity.  
  
A puzzle. William smiled. He liked puzzles.  
  
". . .and I said to her-Willy? Are you listening?"  
  
"Uh, what? Oh! Of course, Luke, of course."  
  
^^^^^^^^  
  
Rafe groaned, exasperated. When would these subtle courtiers forget their blasted socializing games? There was a prisoner to be questioned, damn it, and they stood there talking idly.  
  
Well, it seemed as if everyone else had forgotten the anonymous assassin, so it was Rafe who had to remind them; like a mother hen after her chicks.  
  
Picking his way through the crowded room, Rafe was at the Duke's side swiftly. He coughed discreetly, interrupting his conversation with Sirs Zachary and Jerrold.  
  
"Oh, hello Ster. I was wondering where you'd gone. What is it?"  
  
He tried to subtly direct the Duke's mind to matters other than 'good stud stallions' and 'fine-tempered mares' and all the other nonsense they'd been going on about. "Ah, they did manage to capture the would-be-attacker, milord."  
  
Duke Bruno looked as if he'd suddenly seen the light. "But of course! Sir Michael!" Said knight politely extricated himself from Terian's clutches and moved over to them.  
  
"Yes, milord?"  
  
"What did you order done with our esteemed prisoner?" Sir Michael had a revelation very similar to the Duke's.  
  
"But of course! He is in my room at the moment. I will bring him out, if you'll excuse me." He made a polite half-bow and moved towards his chambers, motioning to a few of his knights to follow him. They obliged unhesitatingly.  
  
Rafe considered his options. On the one hand, he knew Tayli would personally rid him of his 'certain appendages' if she found out that he hadn't called her for the questioning. On the other, if she were asleep, it would be quite embarrassing for her and their company. He'd seen her sleep enough as a child, it wasn't anything new for him, but the knights?  
  
He decided that castration was far worse than a little embarrassment, and knocked on Tayli's door. There was a curt 'Enter!' and he opened the door a fraction and slipped inside.  
  
Just as he'd guessed, Tayli was doing everything but sleeping. She was sitting on the ground with her legs crossed, polishing Kanai el' Kumme. The rhythmic stroke, stroke of the rag never ceased as she glanced at Rafe.  
  
"What, Rafe?" Stroke up.  
  
"They're going to question the prisoner. I figured you'd want to grill him." Down stroke. Up. Down. Up. Down. Stroke, stroke, stroke . . . Rafe thought he'd go mad from the meditating silence as her hands continued to guide the rag up and down the blade, washing off all imaginary dirt. Last stroke and turn the blade over, repeat on the other side. Rafe gritted his teeth. This was his one pet peeve when it came to Tayli: her habit of cleaning her sword to relax. It irritated him no end when she did it. He couldn't stand it.  
  
Then, slowly, she put the rag down and rose gracefully to her feet, a soft breath of a sigh escaping her lips. Tayli had a way of sitting that he'd recognize anywhere-it allowed her to stand up without help and without tripping over her legs. And no matter how much Rafe tried it, it remained a mystery how she managed.  
  
She sheathed Kanai after one last, longing look and followed Rafe out of the door.  
  
^^^^^^^^  
  
Later that night, William added a great deal to his letter, describing the incident. He'd talked about Tayli in the real letter, when he'd thought he was done, but this was too important not to write. He managed to shorten the story a great deal:  
  
'After Evening Petition, which was quite boring, Tayli came back to the rooms early, with Zachary (and no, not for that!). She stopped at the door because she was sure that there was someone there. The long and short of the matter is that she went in, was attacked, and managed to fend him off- even though he was armed and twice as big as she was. We only got around to questioning the man an hour or so later. I'll make this much briefer because it took a long time to get this much out of the man, during which Tayli lost her temper and scared him into talking. It was quite impressive, actually.  
  
This is what we ended up with: his name is Casey, and he's a rogue bandit/mercenary who was stopping in Lubran and ended up taking a job from a woman who paid him well. He was to assassinate Terian. Why, he wouldn't say, and he claimed not to remember what she looked like. It's got all of us thinking. The only one who doesn't seem bothered is Tayli, but then, she's barely shown any emotion but anger. I'll keep you informed on what happens, I know you love mysteries.  
  
Take care of yourself, Melizia.  
  
With love,  
  
Willy'  
  
$$$$$$$$  
  
A/N: Ok, so the important event will have to wait for the next chapter. But in the meantime . . . who is this mysterious Lady Melizia? And the equally mysterious woman who wants Terian dead? Lots of questions that may or may not have answers. Please review!  
  
Wormy 


	28. Note From Bookworm0607

A/N: Ok, I know that, strictly speaking, it's against the rules, but I'm making this A/N a real chapter anyway because  
  
I HAVE A SITE NOW! Oh yeah! Finally! Many, many thanks and endless praise to Olivier, who kindly fixed it for me (he doesn't read this, doesn't even know it exists but hey).  
  
I HAVE A SITE! YAY! I just can't get over it. So, if you want to know all those little background stories, read and write in Kiil and much more, surf to:  
  
www.kanai.tk  
  
The password is 'wormy' (without '' marks, of course).  
  
Have fun!  
  
Lots of luv,  
  
Wormy 


	29. Taking Lives

A/N: I'm so exited to see what you think of this chapter! I know for sure that it's gonna be a shocker. Enjoy!  
  
Oh, and thank you everyone who reviewed! I love you; each and every one of them makes my day. Keep reviewing!  
  
Shayley Rain: Oh, and don't you love them. Don't worry, more questions yet to come!  
  
Dark Silhouette: Is this one long enough? Don't cry! * Gives you next chapter to blow nose on. Oops! *  
  
Blue-la-shoo: Have I ever said that I absolutely love your reviews? And who knows who Melizia is . . . mwuhahaha. I hope you enjoy the site!  
  
Wormy  
  
$$$$$$$$  
  
Tayli bolted up from her dreamless sleep, one hand automatically going to the dagger stowed underneath her pillow. Something had woken her up, the slightest sound in the enveloping darkness of her room. Her eyes roved around the room as they adjusted to the slight moonlight falling in through the crack in the curtains. Nothing seemed out of place, but-there! Something was moving in the darkness.  
  
"Who's there?" She called, carefully extricating her legs from the sheets in case of a fight.  
  
There was a frightened squeak, and then the bobbing glow of a lantern appeared out of nowhere, illuminating a pale, drawn face whose lines were etched in surprise and fear. "Please, m'Lady," the woman whispered in the characteristic Lubranier accent, "I din't mean to wake you!"  
  
Tayli let out a breath of relief. It was one of the servants, no doubt coming through the passages and into her room in order to make a fire. She put the dagger back.  
  
"It's alright. What time is it?"  
  
"Almost dawn, m'Lady. I'm sorry, I've never woken anyone up before."  
  
Tayli waved it off. "No, no, it's alright. I'm a light sleeper. And call me Tayli please. Do you need help?"  
  
"Oh, no, m'L-Tayli. I'm fine."  
  
The servant woman got on with her task as Tayli sat watching her in contemplating silence. "What's your name?"  
  
"Annabella, Lady Tayli." She made a small curtsey from her place by the sputtering fire.  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Ah . . . beggin' your pardon, but was the bed not satisfac'try, Lady? We could put more pillows on it, or diff'rent sheets if you wish."  
  
Tayli shuddered from her position on the floor. "No, please don't! I sleep better on the floor, actually. It's more like my bed at home." She was assaulted by another violent wave of homesickness, but she fought it down resolutely. It would not do to become emotional around a stranger.  
  
There was a pause.  
  
"Tell me about yourself, please."  
  
"What should I say, Lady?"  
  
Tayli grimaced at the title, but didn't say anything. "Anything. Do you have children? Do you like working here? How do your masters treat you?"  
  
The woman smiled at her briefly over her shoulder, with a warm, motherly air before tending the fire again. "I have one daughter, Lady, a fine girl of nine. She works here too, a scullery maid in the kitchens. It's hard work, but we must get by, because it's just us nowadays. But the Lords and Ladies are kind an' treat us good, so I ain't complainin'." Annabella stood up, having successfully constructed a roaring fire, and dusted off the front of her skirt.  
  
"I must be goin' now, if there's anythin' you need just pull the rope. The Lords and Ladies usually break their fast a few hours after dawn, in the smaller dinin' hall three doors to the left of the big Hall. Good mornin' to you, Lady Tayli." And she whisked away and was gone.  
  
Tayli stared after her for a moment, bemused, and then sighed. She wouldn't be falling asleep again; she never did early in the morning. Besides, she probably would have woken up naturally in an hour or so, and she was well rested, even though she practically sank into the bed every time she moved- it was damned uncomfortable, there was no support at all. Cursed mattress, after an hour or so on it she'd moved her sheets onto the well-carpeted floor, and found it infinitely better. So what to do now?  
  
^^^^^^^^  
  
Twenty minutes later, Tayli was washed, dressed, and on her way to the stables. She smirked inwardly at the note she'd left for her 'traveling companions'.  
  
To whoever has the sense to look for me: Out riding. I trust you to be able to take care of yourselves. I should be back by breakfast; if I'm not back by midday you can assume that something has happened. Tayli   
  
She wouldn't leave until the sun came up, but there were enough tasks to be done until then: grooming, checking tack, feeding, seeing if Moonflight had severely injured any of the stable hands yet . . . No time to lose!  
  
There were indeed a few stable hands up already when she walked in, cloak securely around her shoulders in the morning chill. She had her full, rather impressive array of weapons with her-besides the bow and arrows, which she'd left in her saddlebags. The soles of her boots barely made a sound as she crept up on the unknowing lad who was about to fill Moonflight's feedbox. Her horse, sensing the joke, stomped and bared his teeth ferociously at the boy, who was perhaps the only person working in the stables who hadn't been informed of the new horse's temperament. Just as he was about to step inside the box, Tayli spoke up from her spot right behind him.  
  
"I wouldn't do that if I was you."  
  
The lad jumped a foot in the air and spun round, scattering grain across the floor. When he saw Tayli, who'd practically materialized out of the shadows, he lost his precarious balance and fell back- right between Moonflight's hooves.  
  
The big horse turned his face down so he could eye the boy, aware of his mistress' laughter and knowing that there was no threat in him. The lad gulped. Moonflight snuffled his face, showing enough teeth to let the lad know that if he moved, one of the lethal hooves on each side of him could become very dangerous.  
  
It became too much for Tayli when Moonflight gently pulled at some of the boy's hair, watching his face contort into an odd sort of fearful amusement. She burst out laughing. Stepping inside the now-crowded stall as well, she patted Moonflight's neck, still chuckling helplessly. The horse immediately stopped and lipped her shoulder instead.  
  
She stretched a hand out to help the dazed lad up. He grabbed it and scrambled away, looking between her and her horse as if there was something incredibly fishy going on. Then he felt his damp hair and, seeing the humor in the situation, grinned as well.  
  
Tayli gestured him over.  
  
"What's your name?" she asked, watching the laughing youth and noticing that he was older than he looked-the lad still had most of his growing to do.  
  
He smiled. "I'm Jolan."  
  
"Tayli. Do you work in the stables?"  
  
"Since I was ten. That was five years a few months ago." Tayli nodded, impressed. He must really love horses to spend so much time with them-and then she noticed something.  
  
"You're not from here, are you?" He looked surprised, but at the same time a shadow darkened his face.  
  
"No. How did you guess?"  
  
"You don't sound at all like a Lubranier."  
  
The friendly youth sighed almost inaudibly. "You're right. I simply can't learn the accent; no matter how hard I try. And I do, really."  
  
Tayli smiled gently. "I believe you." The she took his hand, which caught the youth off guard, and placed it suddenly under Moonflight's nose.  
  
"Good," she stressed, speaking directly to the horse, who'd long familiarized himself with the command. Moonflight snorted and turned away, feigning disinterest. Which was actually a good sign. It was the reaction she'd come to expect from him, all others were worrying.  
  
She smiled at Jolan. "He likes you. I hope you don't mind being made the only person he'll tolerate around him in the whole stable."  
  
Jolan looked momentarily stunned, but then shook his head, taking in the sleek curves of the pristine horse's body. "No," he breathed. "I don't mind at all."  
  
They talked a little longer before Jolan had to go back to his rounds. Tayli saddled up an eager Moonflight, and they rode out of the barn and into the beginnings of daylight.  
  
^^^^^^^^  
  
After a little over an hour of riding, always in sight of the Duke's residence, Tayli was very much aware that the parade the day before had taken them through a very nice district in the city. Granted, most of it was clean and bright, but there were a few small areas, mostly tucked up against Old Baldy, where the houses became noticeably poorer and the people somewhat dirtier.  
  
She was riding on the edge of one now, savoring the sun's bright rays on her face, though her hood was up to keep the connection of a man's riding style and woman's face as private as possible. The poorer the area, the more people out and about, and there were certainly no deserted streets here. There were also little alleyways everywhere, usually ending at a back door to a pub or at something that strongly resembled a neighborhood trash pile, populated with stray dogs and sometimes a cat.  
  
Tayli hated cities, the crowds and jostling buildings always managed to make her uncomfortable. And in those small poor districts where the rich never ventured, she felt her hatred of them rise into choking bile at the back of her throat. She pitied these poor people, because somehow she knew that few ever made it out of their poverty. And she couldn't help wondering what was being done about it.  
  
But that wasn't any of her business. Best to leave the running of things to those that knew how, the reasonable part of her mind argued. She nodded in agreement with it and continued.  
  
That was, until she heard the low cry and animalistic grunts coming from one of those side alleys. Unconsciously urging Moonflight to trot, she advanced on the sound.  
  
What she saw brought back the wave of memories-vile hands, putrid breath, fighting helplessly, and the pain . . . And from it all, the rage rose, a thousand times as strong as what she'd shown Malay the night before, roaring in her ears and flooding her veins with white-hot fire. Her whole being was pulsing with the rage, and she was no longer Tayli, striving to control her anger-she was the anger, and it controlled her and she let it, using it to block the memories, block the pain.  
  
In a daze of fury, she wheeled Moonflight round in a rearing pivot. Sent him charging down the passageway, pulling Kanai el' Kumme out of its sheath as she did so. The men turned around with grunts of surprise.  
  
She watched time slow down as they tried unsuccessfully to flee, but it was too late. The rage was on Tayli-the time for retribution had come.  
  
She had no mercy.  
  
It was only when she had fulfilled her charge of justice that most of the fury left her, draining out of a now bloody Kanai. What she had done did not register, not yet. Instead, something else pulled at her. Carefully, she dismounted, wiping Kanai disdainfully on the tunic of one of the fallen men. Fallen at her hand. But that did not matter now.  
  
Instead, she sheathed the blade and approached the shaking form huddled against a wall a few yards away. She recognized the fear and pain and humiliation in the girl's eyes, the blood and other signs of a clearly painful beating to make her submit. Slowly, Tayli stepped closer and closer, her mouth forming soothing sounds she did not recognize. It was instinctive to say them.  
  
She knelt by the girl's side and removed her cloak. The girl spared her one look of utter gratitude and slight confusion before passing out.  
  
Tayli frowned and quickly bundled the wounded girl in her cloak and picked her up. It could have been that she was too light, or that Tayli was too strong-either way, it was not a very good sign.  
  
Moonflight had taken the respite to turn around and now came up behind her. Mounting was awkward with the uncooperative bundle of girl and cloak in her arms. Sighing slightly, Tayli settled herself in the saddle and positioned the girl in her arms so that she could still steer Moonflight.  
  
The daze of what she'd done-killed, twice, in the space of a few seconds and without remorse, was starting to lift, but it was driven away by the concern for the tear-streaked face and its unconscious owner in her arms.  
  
Tayli steered Moonflight out of the alley, leaving the bodies for what they were, and turned his nose to the manor, knowing that a healer was needed, and soon. She nudged him into a flowing canter, thoughts split between anxiety and determination. This one would not be like her.  
  
^^^^^^^^  
  
Jolan heard the thunder of hooves nearby and ran out of the stables to look. Maybe it was one of the messengers that sometimes came for the Duke, always bearing important news.  
  
But it was not a messenger, he saw, as Moonflight's smooth, black form burst through the guards, who moved aside just in time. Tayli was astride him, with a bundle in her arms that looked suspiciously like an unconscious person wrapped in her black cloak.  
  
He approached hurriedly, catching Moonflight's bridle as he tossed his head and pranced at the sudden stop. Looking around wildly, Tayli caught sight of him and commanded in a tense, military-like voice which he didn't dare disobey,  
  
"Jolan! Take care of Moonflight." Carefully, she slid the bundle-which he now saw was a girl around his own age-into his waiting arms and dismounted. Then she took it from him again and set off at a run towards the manor.  
  
"You!" he vaguely heard her snap at a passing servant, "Send a healer to my rooms! Prince Terian's party. And I'll personally damn you if it's a man!"  
  
There was such anger on her face. Anger, and pain, and compassion. A jerk on his arm startled him out of his thoughts, and he hurried to see to Moonflight, stroking his nose reassuringly. Horses had a tendency to mirror their rider's feelings. Looking back over his shoulder worriedly, Jolan led the nervous horse away, still wondering.  
  
^^^^^^^^  
  
There were still only a few knights and Terian clustered around the fire when Tayli exploded through the door, panting slightly. They looked up, gaping, as one man, but she only addressed them in passing.  
  
"Send any female healer that comes into my room."  
  
Striding into her own chamber, she carefully laid her precious burden down on the bed, leaving her folded in the heavy woolen cloak. It was best not to meddle when she did not know what was best for the lass. Hurrying to the bathroom, she brought over the basin and pitcher of water, careful not to spill any. Then, remembering the servant that morning, she gave the bell pull a vicious tug.  
  
It only took a few anxious minutes before there was a patter of feet by the wall and then the hidden door swung open, revealing a flustered looking Annabella.  
  
"You called, m'Lady?"  
  
Tayli turned around and nodded grimly. "Get me whatever a healer might need to deal with a case like this."  
  
"And what is it, Lady?"  
  
Tayli stared her in the eye levelly. "Rape. Go." Annabella gasped and was off as fast as her feet could carry her.  
  
It took only ten minutes until the healer was there, looking as if she'd been pulled out of bed in a moment's time. Tayli greeted her with a curt nod, and then shut the door on the curious male faces peering in.  
  
She motioned the woman over. "She's been raped," she said, and it was almost a military report how she said it, but there was pain and compassion laced in with the words. "And beaten too, I believe."  
  
The woman gasped in sympathy and then set about her business, most of which was entirely strange to Tayli. She unwrapped the ever-useful cloak and peeled away any clothing the girl still had on. Then she set about cleaning the lass' injuries, especially the one that no one could ever really recover from. She soothed the wounds, and carefully prepared a sleeping and healing tea, with Annabella's aid, and poured it down the unconscious girl's throat. She fussed a little, tucking her into bed and putting some more tea aside, 'just in case'.  
  
Tayli had been staying well out of the way during the whole episode, and she accepted the healer's instructions with gratitude. Annabella, also, was thanked warmly, and the servant woman flushed in pleasure. And then Tayli was left alone, alone with the one who was suffering as she had.  
  
^^^^^^^^  
  
During the hours that she stayed by the lass' side, Tayli had talked to the Duke, Sir Michael, and Rafe. Rafe had looked at her with pity and compassion in his eyes, but she'd subtly made it clear that her concern was not for herself at the moment.  
  
The Duke had been more blunt when she'd told her story. "You know that I could have you tried for murder." But Tayli had used the time before they came to come to terms with the deaths of the rapists; she felt no remorse. It was what they'd deserved, their rightful punishment. Justice was carried out.  
  
"My Lord, I know well that the penalty for rape is death. I did nothing but what was needed." With a precision bred into her by the Kiin, she'd detailed the location of the alley the fateful event had happened in. Later, Rafe had come to tell her that the two were wanted bandits even before she and the Prince's party had come to Lubran. He'd held her tightly for a few minutes, knowing the pain and memories that she was going through on her own.  
  
But Tayli never shed a tear at the memories. Oh, the memories. Pain, crying, pleading, heat, the stench of sweaty bodies, weight, struggling as best she could, the horrible knowledge of what they would do, the humiliation, the pain that surpassed them all. Oh, how she hated reliving it, confronting the past, but she had no choice. It was forced upon her, pushed to the forefront of her mind from its lurking spot at the back. She wished she could have given those men the same fate she'd brought onto the lass' attackers.  
  
She didn't eat; her appetite was completely gone.  
  
It was only hours later, when the girl stirred, that Tayli roused herself enough to brush a hand across her brow soothingly. The lass looked at her in confusion for a moment, and then she saw the memories and recognition burst into the clear grey eye looking at her. Eye, because the other was covered by thick bangs hanging down over her face.  
  
Suddenly, the girl sobbed and grabbed onto her, and Tayli, startled, wondered awkwardly for a moment what she should do. But she remembered how Rafe had held her, and Michael, and the housekeeper when she'd woken up at night screaming. And she held this girl as they had her, stroking her back and making soothing noises in her throat.  
  
After a long while, the girl calmed down and looked at her with teary eyes.  
  
"I'm Tayli," Tayli said gently, trying to soothe the shaken girl.  
  
There was a trembling smile. "Thank you for saving me. I'm Yana." Then, as if saying that made it all come crashing down again, her face crumpled into a mask of despair. "What am I going to do? I'm ruined; no one will want me now. And I don't know if I want myself . . . it hurt so bad, so bad . . ."  
  
"Hush," Tayli murmured. Then her voice took on a bitter cast. "You'll get over it. After all, I did."  
  
Yana looked up at her in astonishment. "You . . . they-they did it to you too?"  
  
"Oh, yes it happened to me too," Tayli said, voice angry and harsh. "When I was thirteen. How old are you, Yana?" 16, was the answer. "Ah, yes. That's what I thought. I was younger than you, then."  
  
She gazed off into space, remembering. Yana shook her slightly. "Tell me."  
  
Tayli sighed. "I was going into the city with my adopted brother. He had business to attend to, he said, and he trusted me to stay in the market while he was inside one of the taverns. I didn't. I wandered off, going randomly from place to place." She smiled wryly through the pain in her voice. "Thirteen is not an age when people do as they're told. I ended up completely lost, and in a seedier part of town than the market. I was scared; I had only a dagger with me-we hadn't seen the need for anything big.  
  
They caught me then. Two big men-I was no match for them. Now, I would be, but not then. They dragged me away and. . ." She gulped, unable to continue. "If you can imagine what you feel like now, and apply it to a proud, angry thirteen-year-old, you'll get maybe half of what I was feeling then. I cried afterwards, cried for a long time. I suppose that I managed to find Rafe again, but I honestly don't remember, I was in such a daze.  
  
What I do remember was crying again, and the pain, the nightmares. And the anger. I've always had the anger; I think I was born with more of it than other people. And then it grew into such a cold fury that it almost consumed me in my desire for revenge. I managed to control it in time, with help. I might not have. But even then, I shut myself off, blocked all strangers, rarely smiled, living in my own small world. It got even smaller when Rafe left the next year.  
  
You have to learn to cope, Yana. Don't end up bitter and angry like me-it's not the right way. I'll help you, but you must understand that. You're not less worthy. You're more, because you can survive this test of your strength. And survive it well, as I did not." Her voice shaking, Tayli turned away and went to the window, where the first tears she'd cried in a very long time traced their way down her cheeks.  
  
^^^^^^^^  
  
Terian padded away from the crack in the door, shell-shocked. He knew he'd have been detected if Tayli had been paying attention, but she hadn't and he hadn't.  
  
But he was angry and a little afraid. Why had no one informed him that life could take such nasty turns with perfectly innocent people? He would never have dreamed that the reason behind Tayli's cold demeanor and fearful rage was rape. Never.  
  
It was his first glimpse of reality. 


	30. Revisions!

**Very Important A/N**

Hello everyone, all my faithful reviewers, my readers and the people who inspired me to write again (occasionally by threatening my safety ;) ).

First of all, I _am_ sorry that I've left this story hanging for a year. I've had tons of stuff to do now that I'm working on the weekends, and I kind of got stranded away from the flow of this story.

I realized several important things:

1. There are definitely discrepancies between some of the things I wrote in the beginning and the (more thought-out) later chapters. This will be fixed.

2. There are too many knights for me to even remember their names, much less make real characters out of them. Therefore, I will reduce their number to about half a dozen.

3. What does Master Menlan's school run on? It has to be funded or paid for by something or someone, so it needs to have a purpose and a way of earning money. You will learn about those later in the revised story.

4. In the beginning, I made Tayli too perfect. I realized this towards the end, and I'll try to incorporate her personal demons into the story better.

5. My writing style sucked when I started writing this, more than two years ago now. I'd like to think that I've gotten better at it, but that remains to be seen…

So, please everyone, go back to the Prologue and reread it, and from there I'll take it chapter per chapter.

Of course, encouragement is always welcome :P.

Thank you for reminding me that I had something to come back to,

_Wormy_


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